TeamWork
by teen823
Summary: Ever taken a moment to think about how the villainous teams in the Pokemon games might be if they were... good? Join our protagonist as he ventures out into the world, joining up with a team YOU previously thought as evil!
1. Prologue

We sit at the dinner table, the aroma of mom's cooking wafting into the room as she unloads plate after plate of steaming hot food.

Fish, baked goods, and pretty much anything else we could have imagined is placed in front of us, before mom sits down.

"Alrighty guys, dig in!"

She doesn't need to ask us twice.

We load our own plates, and start talking about our days.

"How was school today, Kai?" My mom turns to my brother, and he smiles through a mouth full of food.

"It wath tho good!" He mumbles, giggling, and she smacks his hand.

"Stop talking with your mouth full!" But shes laughing now to.

"And you, honey?" She turns to me.

"Well, today was Internship Application day!" I frown at my voice, which cracks halfway through the sentence, and dad laughs at me, but rubs my shoulder.

"It'll stop eventually, son. It's a part of becoming a man!" He laughs, as my face goes red and i try to hide my face in my food.

"Internship Application Day! Thats exciting, baby! Have you put any thought into what you want to apply for?" Mom asks, politely putting her food down for the conversation.

Internship Application day is one of, if not, the biggest day's in a kids school life. Getting an internship anywhere is amazing, as only a handful of positions are available each year.

"Not really, not yet! I was hoping for one over at the local PokeCenter, study under Nurse Joy. Or! I heard that Officer Jenny is looking for older kids-" I point to myself, "-to train under her, as an Officer!"

"That is so cool! Do you think you would like either of those positions?" Kai asks.

Kai is a few years younger than me, and is still not of age to apply for an internship under the school.

"I think so! But, apparently they have these new ones coming in tomorrow, across seas! They pay room and board, all we have to do is go to school over in their region, and work for them! They even pay post-secondary!" My voice cracks again, but I ignore it.

"That's... amazing! And do you have any idea what they could be about?" Dad asks, genuinely curious.

"Well... not exactly! All I know is that it is being called TeamWork, and we have to wait until tomorrow to know more!" I laugh, imagining all of the cool things that T.W. might include.

Mom and Dad share a quick glance, but quickly go back to looking at me.

"Well, you should definitely apply for the internships under Joy & Jenny! That way, you have a safety net if you need one." Dad explains, and I nod.

"Good idea, I'll apply first thing tomorrow morning!" Mom smiles and nods, and we finish eating.

Me and Kai offer to clean up after, so mom and dad can go relax for a bit.

I'm scrubbing dishes in the sink when I hear Kai come up behind me.

"Hey, big bro?"

"What's up, pipsqueak?" He laughs as I put soap bubbles on his head.

"I was wondering... would you REALLY go across sea's for an internship?" His eyes are wide, and i realize quickly that my next few words could be vital.

"Um... I... honestly do not know." I sigh, and his eyes soften a bit, and he smiles.

"I don't know what I would do if you left." He smiles, a tear slipping down his cheek as he wheels his wheelchair back into the dining room to grab more dirty dishes.

My heart shatters.

I finish up quickly, before heading down into our home gym.

Working out always clears my head, helps me think straight.

I grab the weights that are a bit heavier than my normal, and start curling as I think.

Could I leave Kai?

Could I leave my own REGION for an internship?

I keep running these things over and over in my head as I rep.

I hear the whir of Kai's wheelchair on the ramp as he heads downstairs.

He comes around the corner, and I notice he's changed his shirt, and is now sporting a black tank top, and he has a water bottle on his lap.

"Oh! I can come back!" He turns, but I stop him.

"No! I'm done, anyways, bro. Plus, look at those chicken arms, you need this more than I do." He punches my leg as he wheels pas, and I laugh.

Now, I am a pretty beefy guy. It's hard for me to find shirts that don't squeeze my biceps, and my chest has been known to tear through the odd shirt that is to small. Kai is about the same size up top, more from genetics than anything, if not a bit smaller. But he could beat me easily in any kind of strength test, his arms honed from years of pushing his wheelchair.

Kai was born with a severe case of spinal bifida, rendering his legs immobile. That doesn't stop him from doing everything he wants to, though. Kai has sky-dived, cliff jumped (or wheeled-off), and even para-sailed once. I couldn't do any of those, I'm to much of a wimp, but I will never show it.

"Jerk." He laughs as he starts repping with his chosen dumbells.

I grab the weights I want to use, and bring them with me, up to my room.

"Puru?" I hear a soft voice behind me, and turn around quickly, to get tackled down by Missy, our families Purugly.

"Hey Miss!" I laugh as she licks my face, purring loudly.

She steps back, looking at me weirdly, tail pointing to my room.

"Bed time! You coming?" She shakes her head, licks my face once more, then heads downstairs, presumably to sit with mom and dad.

Dusting myself off, I finally make it to my room, and shut the door quickly, running to my backpack.

I pull out the information package, looking it over once more, and check my filled-out applications.

 **TeamWork;**

 **A group of kind-hearted individual's that believe in equality for pokemon AND humans!**

 **Join our ranks today, and we will provide you with your very own starter pokemon!**

 **I look over the different options, feeling guilty about lying to my parents, but knowing it was the right decision.**

 **Here at TeamWork, we have many different positions available across the entire planet!**

 **Theres Team Rocket, in the beautiful region of Kanto and the rustic region of Johto!**

 **Team Aqua AND Team Magma, both teams reside in the sunny, water-filled region of Hoenn!**

 **Then there is Team Galactic, who hail from the bustling metropolis of a region, Sinnoh!**

 **Over yonder in the forested region of Unova, there is the option of Team Plasma!**

 **Feeling chilly? Team Flare will warm you right up, over in Kalos!**

 **And finally last, but certainly not least, Team Skull has got a bone to pick with YOU, over in the coastal region of Alola!**

 **Your duties would include, but not be limited to;**

 **Making sure local trainers are treating their pokemon with respect!**

 **Helping local restaurants provide free food to the less fortunate!**

 **Raise young and weak pokemon, to become big and strong!**

The list goes on for another half a page, and I sigh in wonder.

Imagine how much fun it would be, to help the less fortunate and raise pokemon for a job!

I change into some Pajama's, and hop into bed, weights forgotten.

I check my phone, and I have one message.

 _How did your parents react?_ It's from my best friend, Matthew.

 _Good Yours?_ I reply quickly, leaving out a few minor details, like that i haven't told them.

 _Awesome, they are so excited. Found out my uncle was in T. Rocket!_ He replies a few minutes later.

 _Sick! Well, Im bout to sleep. Txt me in the morn._

 _Sounds good, see you then._

I roll over, plugging my phone in beside me, and fall quickly into a deep sleep, filled with dreams of me exploring vast regions.


	2. Chapter 1

I wake to the melodic whistling of my mom, who is walking through the hallway outside my room.

I check my phone, and it reads 6:30am.

A little earlier than I would normally get up, but I get up nonetheless. I grab my towel from the desk, where I had thrown it the morning before, and head to the bathroom.

I turn the water on, just about to hot to enjoy, and strip, hopping in.

As I wash my hair, I think about today.

Today's application day.

I made the decision to apply for all of the TeamWork teams, and let fate decide for me. Matthew only applied for a few, Team Rocket, Skull, and Aqua.

I'm just washing the conditioner out of my hair, when a familiar sound drifts into the shower, and I relax.

"... looking out the windoooooow, you'll only ever catch a glimpse..."

Kai's voice slips under the door, and I smile.

Kai is an amazing musician, he can play almost anything that he can touch. I can hear the soulful sound of his keyboard as it enters the hallway.

I quickly dry off, and get changed before leaving the bathroom.

I peek into Kai's room, and see him fiddling with his keyboard, and writing stuff down.

"Whatcha working on bro?"

"A new track, want to perform it at tomorrow's announcement assembly." His brow is furrowed, so I walk in and put my hand on his back.

"It sounds amazing."

"You have to say that, your my brother."

"And I mean it! But, maybe lift it an octave, or lower it, depending on the mood your going for?" He laughs, shaking his head.

"Raise, not lift. And I want it to be happy, make everyone smile." He sighs again, and I laugh, patting his head.

"Well, I smiled."

He smacks my leg, and goes back to fiddling with his notes.

I laugh, heading back to my room.

Mom is standing by my bed, holding the information package.

"Honey..."

"Mom, Im so sorry! I should have told you! Please dont be mad!"

"Mad? Baby, this is amazing! Are you applying? For which group?"

"All of them, and hope I get one." She smiles, hugging me.

"That's amazing, baby. You'll get one, for sure." There are tears in her eyes.

"Mom..."

"Have you told Kai?"

"...Not yet. There is no for sure way to know until tomorrow." She nods, kissing my forehead and heading out, leaving the info package on my desk.

I grab my backpack, put the info package and applications inside, and head down to the kitchen.

I grab an apple, and wave bye to my parents & Kai, before heading out.

School doesn't start for a few more hours, but I like to meet up with Matthew and a few other friends for coffee before.

I show up, and realize that I am the first one here, so I grab my drink and take a seat in a booth.

"Well well! Look who came early today!" I hear a female's voice beside me, and turn to see Rayna's bright smile, through her auburn hair, which is cascading in waves down to her chest. Her bright blue eyes are shining in excitement.

"Hey Ray!" I hug her, and scooch over so she can sit beside me.

"How's it going? What did your parents say?" She asks, quiet.

"Mom found the information booklet this morning... She said it was an amazing opportunity and shes really happy for me." Her eyes go soft.

"Oh, thats so awesome! I love your mom!"

"So! What teams are you applying for?" I ask, and she takes out her forms.

"Actually, I wanted your help with that! I only want to apply for three, max, but I cant pick!" She sighs, and I laugh, hugging her close.

"Of course, Ray. So, are there any groups that stand out to you right away?"

"Team Skull seems interesting, like, they are based in the tropics! That would be beautiful! Oh! Team Flare is in Kalos, i've always wanted to visit..." She trails off, but I nod.

"Well, there's two. Now we just need one more..." I look at the info again.

After studying it for a few minutes, I speak up.

"Team Rocket would keep you home, here in Kanto, but it could still transfer you over to Johto, so you'd at least be close to home." I point out, and she nods, filling her application forms in.

"There we go! Rocket, Skull, and Flare!" She laughs and signs them, folding them into envelopes and putting them in her bag.

"Losers!" Matthew's voice carries across the cafe, as he slips into the stall in front of us.

"Hey Matty!" Rayna flashes him an award winning smile, and his face blushes.

"R-Rayna. Good to see you~" He smiles, stuttering a bit.

"And don't forget about me!" Nareen squeals, coming up from behind us and hugging us.

"So! Who are you all applying for?" Nareen asks, sitting down with her coffee.

"Rocket, Skull, and Flare." Rayna smiles.

"Skull, Magma, and Galactic." Matthew says.

"Skull and Rocket." Nareen puts in, then they all turn to me.

"All of them." I blush as their faces shoot up in confusion.

"What? Why would you apply for all of them?" Ray asks, and I smile back.

"Because, why not? They all seem interesting enough, I couldnt pick." Matthew nods.

"Fair enough, I considered doing the same thing." He nods again, patting my shoulder.

"So... unless we all miraculously get Skull... we won't be seeing each other again... for a whlie." Nareen puts in, and the mood darkens. This is a subject that we had agreed not to talk about until it happened.

"Yeah... I guess so..." Rayna wipes tears from her eyes, hugging me close.

"Hey hey now! We all have each others numbers, we will get a hold of each other!" Matthew rubs her shoulder, but I notice the tears in his eye's.

Before we can all turn into a sobbing pile of crying teenagers, we grab our drinks and make our way to school.

"Hey guys!" The principal of the school, Mrs. Harriet, waves as we enter.

"Hey Mizz H!" Nareen high fives her, and she smiles.

"So? Any news about the TeamWork project?" She asks, clapping excitedly. We all tell her of who we are applying for, and she squeals in happiness.

"I'm so proud of all of you! This is going to go great!" She waves us off, welcoming another batch of students walking in.

We say our goodbyes, before heading to our first class.

Math and Science were boring, like usual. But now, it's time for the application assembly, where we put our forms with their respective Team. There will be a representative from each team there, and they will be the ones deciding if we are the right fit for their team.

I carefully sort my pile of applications, and get ready, Rayna beside me.

There is a loud clanging noise, and the gym doors are opened. We all walk single file in, and start placing our applications in.

I start with Team Plasma, who happens to be closest.

"Hello there!" A lanky kid with long green hair waves as I approach.

"Hi! My name is-" I'm cut off as another kid pushes me out of the way, and the green haired kid has to duck forward to catch me.

"Whoa there! Careful, kid." He laughs as he helps me back up, and I dust myself off.

"Thanks." I smile at him, and he formally sticks his hand out.

"The names N, and don't worry about it! So! You looking to apply?" He asks, and I nod, handing him my application.

"Ah, okay... I see... You know, kid, this is a pretty colorful application. Lots of volunteer work, respective recommendation letters... I'd say you have a pretty good shot getting onto Plasma." He nods, smiling at my application.

I beam back, and he notices the rest of the paper's in my hand.

"Oh! Well, I won't keep you! Go finish dropping those off... and try to stay upright this time." He winks as he turns around, and my face blushes.

I head over to the next table, Team Aqua. Standing at the table are two people in uniforms. A woman, very slim with huge high heel's, and the longest hair I've ever seen. Her hair is black, with a blue stripe through it. And a man, blue and white striped bandanna tied around his head, concealing shorter brown hair. His facial hair is perfectly sculpted to his jawline, and comes up around his mouth in a goatee.

The girl turns to me as I approach.

"Aren't you a good looking guy!" She giggles, hugging me tightly, then holding me out at arms length.

"Muscular arms... good looking features... seems smart... Hey! My name is Shelly, and that over there is Archie! Were you looking to apply for Team Aqua?" She hugs me again, putting an arm around me as we walk the length of their table.

"Yes, actually!" I hand her my form, and she quickly scans it over.

"Mhmm... yep... wow! No red flags, anywhere! You got a shot, hun!" She hugs me again, then gets pulled away by a grumpy looking Archie, who smiles and winks at me as I walk away. My face blushes again.

I head across the gym to the next table, Team Flare.

There is a HUGE man standing at the table, with flaming red hair, and a very built physique.

He smiles as I approach.

"Hey there! My name is Lysandre, and I am the leader of Team Flare! You looking to apply, kid?" I nod, handing him my forms.

Me runs a hand through his hair as he reads, sighing happily.

"Finally, an application with more than just participation awards!" He smiles, laughing.

"Did you have any questions?" He asks, leaning against the wall.

"Well, actually, I-" I'm cut off as he gets tugged away by another applicant.

"We'll talk later!" He waves as I head off to the next table, Team Magma.

There are two men standing at the table, one larger with perfectly flipped hair, and one skinnier with a very amused expression on his face.

"Greetings. My name is Maxie. You are interested in applying for Team Magma?" The skinnier man grins as I walk up to him, and I nod.

"Hm... Interesting... well, thank you for your application! This is very exciting indeed. You will hear back by tomorrow." He smiles, putting my application in a pile where there are only a couple more.

I wave as I head to the next table. Team Galactic.

There is one woman at the table, with bright purple hair thrown up into a bun.

"Hey sweetheart! Looking to apply!" She smiles warmly as I approach.

"My names Jupiter, and I am a commander for the amazing Team Galactic!" She reads through my application, and her eyes go wide.

"Smart AND attractive? You've got the whole package, sweetie!" She hugs me quickly, then gets pulled away.

"Talk later!" She squeals as shes taken away.

Team Skull is next, and there is a large man with spiky white hair at the table.

"Hey! Guzma here, how goes it?" He smiles as I hand him my Application.

"You sure are a smart kid, you know?" He laughs, handing me a booklet.

"Just some info, might interest you! Anyways, I'm sure you'll hear back by tomorrow!" He pats my back as he walks through to the next applicant.

I now only have one more sheet, so I turn directly for Team Rocket.

There are two people, whom I recognize as local Team Rocket commanders Jessie and James.

"Hey!" They both smile as I walk up.

"How's it going, kiddo?" Jessie messes up my hair as I hug her.

"Applying for Team Rocket!" I say happily, handing them the form.

James hugs me tight.

"You are going to get in, I feel it!" He laughs, fixing my hair.

I go to say something more, but the school bell rings, and I have to go.

"See you guys later!" They wave as they start to pack up.

After school, I decide to head straight home. The sooner I get to bed the sooner I hear the results.

I walk in the door, and Mom and Dad are on the couch, watching T.V.

"Hey hun! How was application day?" Mom asks.

"Good! Applied for all of the internships I wanted!" I smile.

"Thats exciting! Think you'll get them?" Dad asks.

"They all seemed to enjoy my application and recommendation letters, so I think I do!"

"Kai home?" I ask, and my Mom nods, pointing upstairs.

I take a deep breath, and head up.

This is going to be hard. I've never left Kai for long periods of time, and we have grown really close these last few years.

I knock on his door.

"Come in!" He calls, and I open the door.

He's sitting in the same position as this morning, fidgeting with his notes and keyboard.

"Hey, big brother! Whats up?" He smiles as I walk in and take a seat on his bed.

"I have something... I need to talk to you about." He turns in his chair.

"Oh? And whats that?" He asks, leaning back.

"I... um... applied for... all of the TeamWork jobs." His eye's go wide.

"What? Your leaving?"

"Not soon, at least, we wont know till tomorrow." I quickly say, but there are tears in his eyes.

"Kai..."

"No, go. You should." He quickly wipes his tears, turning back to his work.

"Kai why-"

"Please. Go."

I stand up, rubbing his back gently, and walk out.

I go straight to my room, and lay down in bed, even though it's barely 4pm.

Missy is on my bed, so I curl around her to stay warm, and the smell and feel of her purring makes me calm.

It's been years since I have cried myself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

"It's a brand new day, and we've got... something to say? Time for a parade? Some spicy Marmalade?"

I hear Kai's voice in his room, as he fiddles with his song.

Chuckling, I sit up, out of bed, and check my phone.

7:30am.

"Shit!" I hiss as I rip out of my room, towel in hand, and burst into the shower.

I shower quickly, but I can hear my phone going off on the sink, texts from my friends wondering where the hell I am.

I hop out, drying quickly, and book it to my room to get dressed.

Kai gives me a pained look as I pass, and it shatters my heart, but I don't have time to stop and chat.

I give mom a quick kiss as I grab an apple and bolt out the front door.

"Where the hell have you been? You almost missed it!" Rayna laughs as I run up to her front door, red-faced and trying to catch my breath.

She is wearing leather pants, which are a little to tight, and a beautiful cropped blouse, that reminds me of the pink morning sky. Her long red hair is tied into a tight ponytail behind her, and she is wearing pink high heeled boots, that stop just below her knee.

"You... Look... Amazing..." I gasp as she ushers me in, to where Matthew and Nareen are sitting in her living room.

Nareen is wearing a beautiful sun dress, that matches her caramel skin and dark brown hair perfectly, and Mtthew is wearing running shorts and a tank top, like me.

"So?! Whos excited!" Nareen claps and asks, bouncing excitedly.

"This is the first year we WONT be at the ceremony!" Matthew puts in, and we all nod.

The acceptance ceremony works in a weird way.

First of all, everyone who applied for an internship is forbidden from actually attending it, which is weird in its own right.

Second, it gets broadcast-ed locally, so that the applicants can still follow along as it goes.

And Third, if you get accepted into an internship, you get a call immediately, telling you where to go and when to go there.

Rayna flips the T.V on, and on the screen is a live broadcast from inside our school's gymnasium. There is a platform set up, with the principal standing in the middle.

"-to this years Acceptance Ceremony!" There is a loud clapping, as all of the younger classes are sat behind the camera.

"Well, without further ado, let us begin! Starting off with Alana Belogna..." She takes an envelope from a man who runs up on stage, and reads the results.

"Alana applied for the coveted TeamWork position! And...-" She slips the letter out of the envelope, but her face drops, "-She unfortunately did not get the position. Maybe next year, sweetheart!" Her smile is back, but I can't imagine what kind of emotional pain Alana is going through. There is never a 'next year.' If you dont get it, you dont get it.

"Next one is... Rayna Yerling!" I feel Ray tense up beside me, as her application is explained.

"Rayna here applied for Teams Rocket, Flare, and Skull! And..."

I throw my arm around her, and she leans into me.

"... Congratulations! Rayna is the newest member of Team Skull!" Rayna jumps up, crying happily.

"I did it! You guys!" We all go silent as her phone rings.

"Hello?" She answers, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Yes... okay... of course... I will... okay, see you soon!" She hangs up, and we go nuts.

Nareen finally calms us down, as the next person is announced.

"Mathew Obernman. This young man applied for Teams Skull, Galactic, and Magma. And..."

His back tenses, and Rayna kisses his cheek quickly, causing him to blush.

"...Congratulations! Matthew is the newest member of Team Magma!" Matthew starts crying, and we all hug him.

"Congrats, Matty!" Nareen kisses his cheek, and I rub his back, as his phone rings.

He takes it to the corner, as they announce the next person, Nareen.

"Nareen Bawbwe. I personally love this young woman, she is an inspiration to us all. It looks like she applied for Teams Skull and Rocket! And..."

Rayna grabs her in a tight hug, and they both squeeze their eyes shut.

"...Congratulations! Nareen is the newest member of Team Rocket!" Nareen squeals with happiness as Matthew enters again.

"I got Rocket!" She flies into his arms, and he kisses her hair and laughs.

"... and the last applicant for the TeamWork positions, is-" Nareen's phone rings.

"He has applied for... every team! Go you! And..."

I tense, and the others gather around me, except for Nareen, as she announces the results.

"...Congratulations! He is the newest member for Team Plasma!" MY heart jumps.

"Yay!" Rayna jumps into my arms, and we all laugh and cry happily.

"We did it!" Nareen turns the T.V off, and my phone rings.

I disengage myself from the others, who watch as I walk off to the corner.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Hey sweet cheeks. How's it going?" I hear the green haired kid... N... on the other side of the phone.

I blush instantly.

"Um... good! Whats up?" I ask stupidly, and he chuckles.

"Well, looks like you got in. I told you you would." The tone in his voice is excited.

"Yes! Thank you!"

"Of course. Now, you will be meeting me tomorrow, at-"

"Tomorrow?" I interrupt him, eyes wide.

"Yes, tomorrow. Now, if i could continue? Tomorrow, in the schools parking lot, and we fly out at noon. Meet me there around say... 10am? And bring your passport. Oh! And an appetite, i'll buy lunch." I can almost HEAR the wink.

"Um... O-okay. See you tomorrow, N."

"See you soon, sweet cheeks!" He hangs up, and my face goes red.

"Tomorrow?" Rayna asks, and everyone nods.

"I dont leave for a few more weeks!" Nareen points out, and Matthew nods.

"Me either." Rayna says.

"Guys... I'm going to Unova... tomorrow?" I'm still processing as they mob me.

"IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!" Nareen cries.

"This is the best, man!" Matthew laughs, wiping tears out of his eyes.

We sit and cry for a bit, when I remember something.

"Wait! Turn the T.V on! Kai's performing!" I scramble for the remote, but Rayna already has it and turns the ceremony back on.

"-performance! Here he is, Kai!" Principal Rose walks off stage, as a group of kids set up a keyboard, and Kai wheels himself up the ramp.

"Hi. My name is Kai, and I wrote a song for today. I hope you enjoy."

He rolls up to the keyboard, and slowly lifts his hands.

As soon as he strikes the first chord, my heart lurches. I can tell just from the melody of the song already that he put his entire heart into this song.

It starts off chipper and lively, an upbeat tune that his lyrics bounce along to.

"Today's just a day.

Tomorrow's far away.

So lets not delay,

as we celebrate today.

News can be exciting,

But sometimes it's not.

Dont get your spirits get you down,

as you gave it all you got.

Sailing off to new horizons,

like a group of sailing ships.

If you keep looking out the window,

you'll only ever catch a glimpse!

So broaden your point of view,

and see what this whole world has to give!

And you might just miss a few,

those few things you see will help you live!"

Then, as if someone had switched the song completely, he drops into a slower, more melodic chorus, and I can hear the pain in his voice.

I dont pick up the lyrics, as all I can focus on is the pain hes projecting.

Rayna takes my side, and hugs me close.

"Is he okay?" She whispers, and I shake my head.

"I don't know."

There is a knock at the front door, and Rayna gets up to answer it.

"Hello? Oh, Hey! How's it going?" She walks back in, and a girl walks in behind her.

Shelly?

"Hey there sweet hearts! How's it going?" She flashes a smile, and Matthew's face goes beet-red.

We all tell her we are doing good, and she points to me.

"You! I need a quick word, handsome!" She grabs my arm and walks me outside.

"So! I heard you got into Plasma, congratulations." She starts, hugging me tight.

"Oh, um... thank you...?" She laughs at my answer.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to poach you onto Aqua." She laughs at my sigh of relief.

"Then why did you need to talk to me?" I ask, and she smiles.

"Cause I hoped that you wouldn't mind having a Team Aqua starter with you." She holds up a pokeball from her pocket, and i recoil.

"What? Is that allowed?" I ask, and she nods, smiling.

"I've already talked it over with N, and he does not have a problem with it. What do you say?" She asks, putting her hands together.

"I mean... okay..." She laughs and hugs me, handing me the pokeball.

"She's just a baby, newly hatched from my own Pokemon!" Shelly steps back, signalling for me to release the pokemon.

I tap the button, and point in front of me, and a burst of red light comes out, forming a small pokemon in front of me.

The light dissipates, and in front of me is a small fish pokemon, floating in the air.

It's body is ball shaped, and is red on the bottom and navy blue on top. It has huge yellow fins, two on top and one on bottom, and a large tail fin that is yellow and rimmed with red in the back. It's eye's look dangerous, and it has two huge fangs sticking out of its bottom lip. There is a large yellow star shaped pattern on its chest/belly.

"Meet Carvanha!" Shelly jumps in excitement.

"Hey there..." I put my hand out, and Carvanha floats through the air slowly, sniffing my hand. She looks up at me, and her eyes soften. Then she bites my hand.

"Ouch!" I recoil, and Shelley busts a gut laughing so hard.

"Rule number one to raising a Carvanha; They like to bite!" She holds her hands up, and I see the numerous scars along her forearms.

"It means she likes you." She says softer, hugging the fish pokemon.

"She... she's beautiful." I gasp, as she does a graceful flip in the air.

"I'm glad you like her! Now, she needs a name!" Shelley and Carvanha both turn to look at me.

"Um... um... Oh! I got one! How about Chompers?" Carvanha quickly swims over and bites my hand, growling.

"Okay, maybe not... what about... Oh! Persephone?" Carvanha's eyes widen exponentially as she nods, and even Shelley nods.

"Gorgeous name from a gorgeous trainer to a gorgeous pokemon. Perfect." She smiles, hugging Persephone once more, then me.

"I have to go, but PLEASE let me know how she's doing every once in a while, or if you need any pointers on water type pokemon in general." She hands me a card, that has her name and number on it, with a bunch of hearts.

"I will. Thank you so much, Shelley." I hug her again, and she waves as she leaves.

"Well then, Persephone! Lets go introduce you to my friends!" I bend as she leaps into my arms. Her fins cut into my clothing, but I wave it off.

We walk in, and everyone's eyes go wide.

"Who is this sweetheart?" Nareen asks, walking up and putting her hand out for Persephone so sniff. Persephone nuzzles her hand, and kisses her fingers.

"Everyone, this is Persephone. Persephone, this is everyone." I set her down, and she floats around, greeting everyone.

"Have you though of a nick name for her?" Rayna asks, and I tilt my head in confusion.

"That IS her nickname." I point out, and Rayna laughs.

"No, like... Percy, or Effie? That way you won't have to say her full name all the time." She laughs, and I nod.

"Car!" Persephone perks up when Rayna mentions the nick name Effie.

"Is Effie okay?" I ask her, and she nods, purring.

"Van! Ha!" She laughs, floating in circles.

"Alrighty then, Effie!" I laugh as she leaps into my arms.

"Shes a cutie!" Rayna laughs as Effie nibbles her fingers.

"Sorry! She tends to bite when shes happy!" Rayna waves it off, playing with the baby piranha pokemon.

"So, any plans for tonight?" Matthew asks, and I nod.

"Parents are taking us out for dinner at that new oriental place, downtown." They all nod.

"Well, speaking of food! It's almost noon!" Rayna grabs her coat, and we all laugh.

We lock the door behind us, and head to the cafe.

After we get comfortable, and order, we talk about our assignments.

"So! Nareen, Team Rocket! That's exciting!" I say between sips of my coffee, and her face beams.

"Yeah! I start in a few weeks, over in Viridian City! They said I'll get to pick between Rattata, Pidgey, or Geodude as my starter!" Matthew claps her gently on the back.

"That is so exciting, Nar! We are so happy for you!" He says, and she turns to him.

"But you got Team Magma! Hoenn!" She laughs as his face goes red.

"Yeah, its pretty exciting! I get a Numel as my starter, which is a fire type. And I leave two weeks from today." He smiles, relaxing a bit.

"Ray?" I ask, and her face lights up.

"Team Skull! I get to choose between three Alolan Form Kantonian Pokemon, Rattata, Grimer, or Meowth, and I am stationed on Akala island." She explains, and I hug her.

"And you?" Matthew turns to me, sipping his drink.

"I'm not sure. N called me and just said to meet him at the school tomorrow at 10am, and that hes buying me lunch before we go." I shrug, but Ray elbows me.

"N is super cute." She giggles, and Nareen covers her mouth with her hand.

My face goes hot.

"Shut up!" She laughs as I playfully push her.

Our food arrives, and Effie sticks her head out from under the table, where she had been dozing.

"Car?" She asks, eyeing my plate.

Laughing, I tear a piece of burger off for her, tossing it down. She artfully flips, catching it in her mouth, and floating back under, nestling between my feet again.

"She's a total sweet heart." Rayna says, eyes soft.

"I know. I think me and her are going to get along perfect." I smile down at her, and she snores gently in response.

"So, what kind of starters do they offer in Team Plasma?" Nareen asks between bites.

"Lillipup, Purrloin, and Patrat." I say, and they all nod.

"Well, you need to get packing! We will text everyone tomorrow morning before you have to meet up with N and go for one last coffee!" Rayna kises my cheek, letting me slide out. I grab a to-go box, and pack my food home, Effie on my tail.

I burst through the front door, and get instantly mobbed by my parents.

"We are SO proud of you!" My mom cries.

Behind me, I hear a light growling.

"Oh! Mom!" I pull away and turn around, picking Effie up.

"Oh! And who is this little sweetie?" Mom lets Effie sniff her, and Effie gleefully crunches her fingers.

"This is Persephone, or Effie for short. Shelley from Team Aqua gave her to me, as a gift." I explain, and Mom takes the energetic baby piranha.

"Ha! Ha!" She giggles as Mom tickles her belly.

"So, exciting news! I leave tomorrow!" Mom almost drops Effie, and I hear Dad choke on something in the kitchen.

"Tomorrow? Why so soon?" Mom asks, hugging me tightly.

"N told me that we were leaving at noon, I have to pack still!" I kiss her cheek, and wiggle around her.

"Baby..." I turn back, and she has tears in her eyes.

"Oh, mom..." I throw her into a hug, and she cries into my shoulder.

"I knew this day was coming..." She sobs, and I laugh through my own tears.

"Could you be any cheesier, mom?" We both laugh as Dad comes out of the kitchen, and joins the hug.

"Where is Kai?" I ask.

"Upstairs." She points, wiping her eyes.

"Mom... could you help me pack?" Her eyes go wide as she nods vigorously.

She heads up to my room as I find Kai.

His door is open, and he is sitting at his keyboard, but he's just staring at it.

"Plasma, huh?" He says dejectedly.

"Kai..."

"When do you leave?" He asks quietly.

"...tomorrow, at noon." His eyes go wide.

"But, you can't-" He cuts off as he bursts into tears.

"Hey! Hey." I go sit beside him, holding him as he sobs.

"I cant... lose you... I cant..." He sobs, and I hear Effie come in behind us.

"Car?" She asks quietly, and Kai, wipes his eyes and looks around for the source of the new sound.

"Huh? Who's this?" He asks as Effie leaps into his lap, nuzzling his chest.

"Oh, Kai! Meet Persephone, but you can call her Effie." I laugh as she nibbles his nose when he kisses her forehead.

"Aren't you just the cutest?" Kai says, and there's a huff from the door.

We turn, and Missy stalks down the hall.

We both laugh, and Kai sets Effie down.

"You'd better go do some damage control, bro." He nods, laughing through his tears, and takes off after the offended Purugly.

I scoop Effie up, and head into my room, where Mom is sitting on the bed, m,y bags packed beside her.

"Unova gets cold, so i packed lots of pants, but please call us if you need anything else, we can send it-"

"Mom. It's perfect, thank you." She smiles, hugging me, and she points to a small backpack beside my bed.

"Carry-on. Phone chargers, some cash, and your passport. We will pick up snack and drinks tonight." I nod, and she holds me back at arms length.

"Please call us, and don't be a stranger! Come visit whenever you get the chance!" She smiles.

"Look at you, about to move out on your own. Make sure to let Grandma and Poppa know that your going to Unova, they owuld love to come visit you from Kalos!" I nod again, hugging her again.

"We are so proud of you, honey. SO proud." She whispers into my ear.

"Now, get changed, we are going for dinner remember!" She laughs, wiping her tears, and pretending to vomit at the smell of me.

She heads out, and I lay on my bed, Effie jumping up and curling on my chest.

This could not have turned out any better.

I get changed.


	4. Chapter 3

My phone jerks me awake at 6am.

I roll over, turning the alarm off, and I hear a grumbling from under the blanket.

I peek under, and see Effie, curled against my chest.

"Hey, baby girl..." I scratch her chin, and her tail fin kicks against my stomach in pleasure.

I gently scooch over top of her, leaving her to sleep as I get ready for today.

Today is a huge day.

I shower, taking as long as I can, as this is the last time I will be seeing this house for a while.

I get out and dressed, and see a text from Rayna.

Cafe, 6:30

I smile, grabbing my phone, and a still-sleeping Effie, and head out.

"There you are!" Rayna throws me into a hug as I approach.

"Hey sweetheart!" She bends down and hugs Effie, who purrs in response, nibbling her nose.

She leads us in, to where Matthew and Nareen are sitting at our usual table.

"Hey." She looks tired, but Nareen still spares us a smile.

"You okay?" I ask her as she slides a coffee over to me.

"Tired. My parents were so excited they invited all of the family over, and god forbid anyone miss a party, so everyone showed up. I didnt get to bed till almost 2am." She laughs, sipping her drink.

"Oh Nar." I rub her arm, as Effie jumps into her lap.

"Car!" She nibbles her cheek lightly, and Nar laughs.

"Hey honey." She gives her a piece of the breakfast sandwich in front of her, and Effie scarfs it down quickly.

I order a couple more sandwiches, one for Effie and one for me, then settle back down.

"How'd it go with your family last night? Kai?" Matthew asks.

They all know how close me and my brother are.

"Mom and Dad took it pretty okay, but Kai..." I stop, tears forming in my eyes, no matter how hard I will them not to.

"It's okay, man. Hector is going to watch out for him while your gone." Matthew squeezes my hand.

Hector is Matthew's younger brother, and him and Kai are also best friends.

"Thank you." I whisper, sipping my coffee.

Effie leaps over the table, into my lap, and promptly curls up, falling asleep.

We all laugh.

"So? How did your guys's parents react?" I ask, and Rayna's face lights up.

"They are so excited for me! Well, they are mainly excited to come VISIT me in Alola, but tomato tomahto." We all laugh.

"And mine are pretty pumped, though Hector seems a bit down about it." He shrugs.

"And you all know what mine thought..." Nareen cuts off in a yawn, and we all laugh.

"Why werent we invited?" I pout, nudging her foot, and she laughs.

"You really want to come party with a bunch of four and fifty year olds? Im the only middle kid." She yawns again, and I squeeze her hand.

My food arrives, and I scarf my sandwich down quickly, placing the plate with Effie's in front of her. She's awake instantly, mowing down on it.

"You guys..." We look over to see Rayna, with tears in her eyes.

"Ray, whats up?" I pull her close to me and she cries quietly into my shirt.

"This is... the last time... we will... be in the... same place at once." She sobs quietly, and I hold her. Nareen starts crying to, and Matthew holds her.

"Hey, hey! Don't say that! We will all be back for Christmas, right? We will just meet up then!" She nods, but still cries.

The cafe door opens behind me, and Nareen and Matthew's eyes go wide.

"What? What is it?" I turn around, to see... N. He's just walked in, and is coming towards us.

"Oh, crap!" Rayna sits up quickly, wiping her tears carefully and sitting straight, acting uninterested.

"Hey." He says simply, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey... Whats up?" I ask, and he smiles.

"Came for a coffee, can't function in the morning without it." He sighs.

"Amen brother." Nareen high fives him, sipping from her own.

"So, you all ready?" He asks, and I nod.

"Good, cause they bumped our flight. We leave at nine." He ruffles my hair.

"What?!" I check my phone...

8am.

"Meet me a the airport at nine. See you soon. It was nice to meet you guys!" He smiles as he grabs his coffee and waves as he leaves.

"Really?!" I scarf my coffee down, burning my throat.

"Good Luck! Video chat all the time, and we love you!" Rayna kisses my cheek, as does Nareen, and Matthew hugs me.

"Good luck man, text us when you get there!" I wave as I run out, Effie following closely.

I rip home, grab my bags, and pause at the door.

"What's wrong?" Mom asks, and I hug her tight.

"I'm leaving earlier than expected. I love you guys SO much. Tell Dad I love him, and I promise to video chat as soon as we get settled." Effie jumps into Mom's arms, kissing her chin.

"Oh, sweetheart! Have fun on your trip!" She kisses my forehead, and away I run.

I leave so quickly that I don't even notice Kai, who is sitting in his bedroom window, waving.

"There you are! You are late!" N laughs as I try to catch my breath, finally making it to the plane.

It's a long, slender jet, with the Team Plasma insignia on the side.

We enter, after I hand my bags to a worker, and grab seats.

The inside is quite luxurious, and I have to catch myself to make sure I don't trip or scuff up the expensive carpets.

N sits on a recliner, and a stewardess hands him a glass of bubbling liquid.

"Champagne?" He holds his glass out, but I shake my head.

"No thank you, I don't drink." I laugh as Effie nods vigorously.

"Fair enough." He smiles, holding out a bottle of water, which I graciously take.

"So, tell me a bit about yourself?" He asks, as the plane lurches into motion.

"Um, I just graduated." I start, and he nods.

"Good for you. I never did, but then again, I've never needed to." He smiles.

"So, like, am I the only intern on this flight?" I ask, and he laughs.

"You were the only intern from Kanto." He laughs, as I put on a quizzical expression.

"Really? How many other kids applied?" I ask, and he puts a finger to his chin.

"Hmm... around, maybe say... two hundred? Ish?" He spurts a number out, and my jaw hits the floor.

"Me? Only me, out of TWO HUNDRED?" I gasp, and he nods again.

"Okay, next question." He laughs, waving me on.

"Okay... um... how long is the flight?" I ask, and he nods.

"Eleven hours, with a pit-stop in Sinnoh to pick up a few interns there as well." My eyes go wide again.

"Okay, thats cool. Last question. When do I get my Plasma starter pokemon?" He nods again.

"Technically, you should wait until we get to Unova, but I like you, so I will let you pick now." He grabs three pokeball's out of his bag.

"Wait, like, now? NOW now?" He laughs, nodding.

He releases three pokemon in front of me.

"First, we have this little guy. He is a Patrat."

The first pokemon of the bunch is a small rat pokemon. He has his hand over his eyes as he observes me, almost as if I was a long distance away, or if it is too sunny. His eyes are a bright red, with a light yellow stripe through the middle.

"Ha!" He laughs, pointing at Effie, who growls.

"Second here is Lillipup. She is a native dog pokemon to Unova."

Lillipup is the second pokemon to be released. She is small, but has VERY fluffy fur all around her neck, and her body is small and a light brown color.

"Ruff!" She giggles, licking my hand when I pet her.

"Hey sweetheart!" I laugh.

"And third, this here is Purrloin. She is a sweetheart, but very mischievous."

The third and last pokemon is a small cat pokemon, purple in color, and her eyes are a dark green, with pink markings that reach up to her forehead.

"Meow." She licks her paw, but smiles as I pet her.

"Those are your choices." He smiles, gesturing to the pokemon sitting in front of me.

"Well... I think I will go with..."

"You!" I point, and the pokemon has a surprised expression.


	5. Chapter 4

"Meow?" Purrloin asks, looking confused.

"I choose Purrloin." I finish, and N nods.

"Solid choice, a dark type." He returns the sullen looking Lillipup and Patrat.

"She will need a name." He points out, and I nod.

"I'm thinking... Cleo. Short for Cleopatra." N takes a second to process the name, and nods.

"Purr!" Purrloin jumps into my arms, nodding vigorously.

"Well, now that we have that sorted out, I'm going to bed. We have a long flight ahead of us, and its still early." N yawns, standing.

"Bed?" I ask, and he nods, sleep already in his eyes.

"Come, we have rooms in the back." He meanders to the back of the jet, and points to a room.

I nod, thanking him and heading in. The light is off, and I flick it on.

"Hey!" A man, who is sleeping in the bed covers his eyes from the light, hissing.

"Sorry! My bad!" I quickly turn the light off and head back to the hallway from which i came.

I look around, but there is only one other room.

I return both Cleo and Effie to their pokeballs for the time being, and quietly step in.

N has taken his shirt off, and it now resides on a small table beside the bed, and he is sprawled across the entire bed, the blankets by his feet as he snores loudly. His chest rises and falls rhythmically as he breathes.

Laughing quietly, I quickly pull the blankets up, so that he's covered to his neck. He smiles in his sleep, rolling over.

I quietly head to the door.

"Wait." He whispers, as I reach for the handle.

"I'm so sorry N, I didn't know-"

"Shut up and come lay down." He lifts the blanket, beckoning me to come over.

Warily, I slowly head over, crawling in beside him.

"Just so you know, I'm a cuddler." He laughs, rolling so that his back faces me, and starts snoring again.

I know I shouldn't be, but I am instantly calmed just by the smell of him, and I quickly fall into a deep sleep.

I am startled awake by the plane dropping to the ground, and the force of the engines pulling us back.

I rub my eyes sitting up, and realize where I am.

N is no longer beside me, the blankets tucked tightly around my sides and legs to keep me warm.

Smiling in spite of myself, I realize that my shirt is folded neatly on the table beside me.

My face goes crimson as I quickly pull it back on, standing.

I hear voices in the hallway, so I release Cleo and Effie, who have also just woken up, and head out.

"...sleeping, but when he gets up- Oh! Speak of the devil!" N grins at me, as I enter the hallway.

"We just landed in Jubilife City, in Sinnoh. We have a few hours, so I was about to wake you up for dinner." He laughs, as I yawn.

He leads me out of the plane, into the bright sun, and leads me to a car nearby.

We get in, and it takes off.

I open my window, letting Cleo and Effie smell the Sinnoh air, as I gaze, awestruck, at all of the buildings.

The buildings reach almost to the sky, just grazing the heavens, and there are SO MANY people and pokemon! I see pokemon i recognize, like Raticate and Butterfree, but for every pokemon i recognize, there are twenty I dont.

I'm so caught up with all of the new sights, that I don't see N's yearning look.

The car pulls up to a restaurant, and lets us out, and N leads me in.

"The other recruits are meeting us here, so be nice." He whispers in my ear, causing my hair to stand on end.

We are led by a waitress to a long booth in the corner, and there are three kids sitting there, two boy's and one girl.

The one boy is pretty plain, wearing a baggy blue t-shirt with some markings on the front, his short, jet black hair combed back, and he has a bored expression on his face. He is quite lanky, he hasn't quite grown into his frame yet.

The second boy is more notable, with a very handsome face, and longer blonde hair, which is tied back in a small ponytail. He is quite muscular, and is wearing a t-shirt that looks about to rip against his muscled arms and body, almost as big as mine. He grins wildly at me and N as we approach, and his teeth are pearly white.

The girl has bright blue hair, and multiple facial piercings, but her smile is enough to light up the room. Her hair is braided behind her, and I notice that her shirt is lace on the back, and she is wearing ripped jeans and red heels.

"Hello everyone, My name is N and I will be your guy's chaperone to Team Plasma." He sounds extremely bored, but I can see the excitement in his eyes.

I scan the recruits again, and Mr. Muscles gives me a wink.

My face goes red, as N puts his am around my waist and leads me to our seats, beside the girl.

Muscles' grin fades a bit.

We sit, order our drinks, then N addresses the group.

"Now, may I please start with your names?"

The girl goes first.

"Hi! My name is Primrose, but you can call me Prim!" Again, her smile lights the room up.

"Interesting choice for face altercations, Prim, I'll give you that." N smiles at her, and she beams back.

"My name is Skyler, Sky for short. When do we leave?" The bored, lanky kid goes second.

"After we eat. Thanks Sky." He smiles at him.

Then its Muscles' turn.

"The names Cosmo. How's it going?" His accent is stronger than the other two's.

"It's going good, thank you Cosmo." N's smile isnt as bright with Cosmo as it was with the others.

"Now, Prim, Sky, and Cosmo. This is-" He is cut off as the waitress brings our drinks, "-and he will be the fourth and last recruit for Team Plasma." We all exchange greetings, and Cosmo winks at me again. I feel N stiffen beside me.

"Anyways, we will take off for the Castle after-"

"CASTLE?" Prim's eyes light up, and she dons an awed expression.

"Yes, Prim, a castle. Anyways, we leave after lunch." He smiles and rubs the girls arm.

The waitress comes by again, taking our food order.

"So, where are you from?" Cosmo asks, looking directly at me.

"Me? Oh! Kanto." His eyes light up.

"Interesting..." He grins.

"Is it nice there?" Prim asks, and I nod.

"Less city space than here in Sinnoh, way more forests. And we rarely get cold, it's usually warm." She nods, smiling.

"What kind of pokemon are there?" Skyler asks.

"Um... Pikachu, Butterfree, and Raticate all reside in Kanto." They nod, having seen these same pokemon around.

"So, anyways! Enough about me! Do any of you guys have pokemon yet?" I ask, but they all shake their heads.

"What about you? Any pokemon?" Prim asks, and is taken aback when I nod.

"Two, actually. Here, meet Effie and Cleo!" I release them onto the floor beside the booth, and they both jump up into my lap.

"Meow!" Cleo rubs against my chin with her head, and Effie nibbles gently on my fingers as I stroke her tail fin.

"Oh my GOSH!" Prim gasps, and Cleo nimbly hops over the table to sit with her.

"Hello, baby girl..." She cooes, stroking Cleo's soft fur. Cleo lays down quietly on her lap, dozing off.

"Thats Cleo, this is Effie." Effie jumps onto the table, making the rounds and saying hello to everyone by nibbling their fingers.

"Sorry, she's a biter." I apologize, but Skyler waves me off and Cosmo laughs as he softly munches on his finger.

"So, N, was it? What starters will we get to choose from, if you dont mind me asking?" Prim asks, still stroking the now sleeping Cleo.

"N, thats right Prim. And you will have three choices, but once one is picked another one of you can't pick that same one. Make sense? Your choices are to be Patrat, Lillipup. and Purrloin, whom you have already met." He finishes, pointing to Cleo.

"Wow..." Prim gasps, staring lovingly at Cleo.

Effie jumps back over, into my lap.

The waitress brings our food, and we dig in.

After, N pays for everything, and we head out to the same car that brought me and N.

"Ladies first!" N bows dramatically, causing Prim to laugh. She is still holding Celo, who is more than happy to be carried everywhere.

She sits in the front, and the rest of us pile into the back.

I get in first, then Cosmo, then N, and finally, Sky.

The second the door closes, the car takes off.

Cosmo leans in close to me, and my heart races.

"You gay?" He whispers, and I nod.

"Yeah. You?" I ask, and he grins.

"Hell yeah." He laughs, leaning back, and I see N give him an extremely dirty look.

The car pulls us up to the tarmac, where we quickly transfer to the plane.

"The flight is only a couple hours, but if you need to sleep we have a few rooms in the back..." He trails off, the three newbies following him, and I sit down, heart still racing.

Is N seriously that into me? There is no way.

Cosmo seems like a nice guy, but he's arrogant.

N is honest, and very gentle.

I'm battling over the two in my mind when a soft voice startles me.

"What did he say? In the car?" N leans in close, whispering.

"He asked if... if i was..." I trail off, and he nods.

"Well, are you?" I nod, and he smiles.

The others file back in from the back of the plane.

"Sorry about the mess in the one room, me and him shared a room last night." N points to me, and my face goes red as Prim giggles and Cosmo looks like someone smacked him in the face. Sky just shrugs.

"Now, anyways, you will now pick your starters." Cleo jumps back into my arms, as N releases the three choices again, including a new Purrloin.

"You guys decide who will go first..." N asks, and they look at each other.

"Prim." Both Cosmo and Sky say at the same time.

"You guys are sweethearts!" She hugs them both, before turning to the pokemon in front of her.

"Lillipup!" She points to the ecstatic little puppy pokemon, after a minute of deliberation.

Cosmo waves Sky up next, who chooses Purrloin, leaving Patrat for him.

He happily embraces the rat pokemon.

"Now that that is settled, we wait." N sits down, another stewardess bringing him Champagne.

He looks at me, and I swipe it form his hand.

"I thought you didn-"

"Shut up." He giggles at my mock hostility.

I sip it gingerly.

Prim takes Lillipup, whom has been named Princess, into the back. She lets us know that she will be reading and getting to know Princess.

Cosmo and Watcher, his newly named Patrat, sit across from me and N.

Sky and his Purrloin, Slim, head up into the seats in the front of the plane.

"So, anyone special at home?" Cosmo asks me, and I feel N shift beside me.

"Nope, no time for relationships. School was my priority, until now." I smile, and he nods.

"Me either, never found... the one." He smiles back.

"Your parents were cool with you coming?" He asks.

"Oh yeah, a bit sad that I was leaving, but happy nonetheless."

"Mine too, glad to see me go but sad to see me go, if you know what I mean." He winks, and I laugh.

We make the rest of the flight like this, just idle chatter to fill the space, before Prim and Princess come bounding out.

"OMG LOOK!" She points to one of the long windows, and we all crowd around it.

"Welcome to N's Castle." N says triumphantly behind us.


	6. Chapter 5

"Whoa!" I gasp, reveling in its prescence.

The castle is huge, easily a few miles long in the front, and it's towers reach almost to the heavens. It has a massive courtyard, which our plane lands neatly in.

"Please follow me, recruits." N walks out, smiling into the evening sun.

We all follow him, still in awe. He leads us from the plane, out into the sun-filled courtyard.

The courtyard is huge, and is ringed with beautiful trees that have leaves of pink, gold, and silver. There are multiple ponds around, and bridges span them effortlessly, allowing people and pokemon alike to cross. There are also multiple stone pathways swirling around, and a large stone pillar in the middle of it all.

"Welcome to my castle." He gestures wildly around.

Effie jumps into the nearest pond, before disappearing and reappearing in a farther one.

"What?" I run to the edge, but N is already explaining it.

"What you just witnessed is the wonders of the aqueducts. I made sure they were big enough for pokemon to swim through, and they connect every pond and pool in and around the castle." N smiles, grabbing my hand and leading me back to the group. Cosmo looks upset at the gesture, but I shake my head, ignoring him.

"It is getting quite late, so allow me to lead you to your rooms. We will commence the full tour of the grounds tomorrow, and then you will have a couple day's before you officially start as a member of Team Plasma." We all nod, and he leads us up a staircase, and into the castle.

We are lead down many hallways, all brimming with navy blue carpets, with designs of pokemon adorning them, and many sconces on the walls, all lit. The flames cast an eerie shadow across the halls, but it all adds to the wonder of it all. The roof is painted a bright blue, with specks of white over head... it takes me a moment to realize that the roof is glass.

"All of the hallways that are ground level have skylights along the top, helps the ambiance, I find. It's also nice in the mornings." N rambles, leading us into a large tower.

"This is the dormitories. You are not required to share, but you may if you choose to. You will all get your own room." With that, a small, petite lady with caramel skin walks out of a door to our right.

The room is the size of a large apartment, with multiple sets of couches and chairs spread out, and there is a huge pokemon sculpture, that I recognize as a Dragonite, from Kanto. It's eyes have sconces, and it's mouth is open in a roar, only darkness within.

"This is the commons room, where both men and women can converge and 'hang-out', if you will. There is a boy's side and a girl's side. Ah! Speaking of the girls side, this is Meloa. She is one of my most trusted friends." He hugs the smaller lady.

"I see we have fresh meat!" She giggles, her accent thick.

"We sure do, Mimi. Would you mind taking Miss Primrose here to her room? Forty-Seven B, please." With a quick curtsy, Mimi gently grabs Prim, and leads her off, talking with her as they disappear behind the girls door.

"Now, follow me." He leads us into the other door.

We enter, and there is a GIGANTIC spiral staircase, open down the middle where a large tree has sprouted. The branches of the tree take hold every couple feet on our way up, and I see that it doesn't break off, but goes on right to the roof, same as the staircase. The rooms are directly off of the staircase, and there are multiple stained glass windows depicting ancient battles.

"Wow..." Skylar stands over the railing as we climb, observing the drop and the beautiful green foliage surrounding us.,

"Here! You first." He points at Cosmo, and points at the room in front of us.

"Meet us downstairs in an hour for dinner, do NOT be late." He smiles sweetly, then continues up.

Effie and Cleo are in my arms now, and are leaning out to catch a glimpse of the tree, and the windows.

We climb for a bit longer, then we stop again.

"Your turn." He gesture's Sky in, and we continue up.

"One hour!" He calls behind him.

We walk right up to the top of the staircase, to the very last door.

"This is a very special room, sweet cheeks. Just for you." He opens the door, and I gasp in amazement.

The door opens up to a small boot-room, before expanding exponentially into the bedroom. The bed dominates the middle of the room, with four huge pillars of solid wood holding it off the ground a couple of feet. The bed itself is gigantic, enough for easily ten of me. To my right, there is a large window, that N swings open to reveal a large patio, complete with outside furniture and a small fire pit. I walk back inside, and to the other side of the room is a massive closet, already hung full with clothes. Beside the bed is a night table, made of a rich dark wood.

"Oh my god..." I gasp, as N shuts and latches the window.

"The other rooms dont have this feature, but look." He walks into the closet, opening a small door. Inside... is nothing. It's complete darkness.

"What is it?" I ask, and his eye's light up.

"Do you trust me?" He asks, and I nod, swallowing.

With that, he lunches himself into the darkness.

"WOOOOOoooooo..." It slowly goes quiet.

Saying a quick prayer, I grab Effie and Cleo, and jump in.

"WHOOOOOOOAA!" I shout, falling. Well, not falling, I realize, but... sliding?

"I suddenly see light ahead, and brace for impact, but I slideoff a ledge, and land gently onto a couch in the commons room.

I look up, and N is sitting on the other side.

"Fun, right?" He laughs at my shocked expression.

I turn around, searching for where I came from, and notice the Dragnoite statue behind me.

"Did we just...?" He nods.

"Out of the Dragonite's mouth. Only your room has that feature." He smiles.

"But... why.. me?" I ask, and N leans forwards, his face only inches from mine.

"Because, you are special." With that, he kisses me.

It takes me a moment, but I lean into the kiss, deepening it. The taste of him drives me up the wall, and his smell surrounds me. My body melts, like ice in a campfire, and all I can think about is right here, right now, this moment. He links one of his arms behind me, pulling me closer, and I throw both of my arms around him, trying to get as close to him as possible. He moans softly as I gently bite his lip, causing his entire body to shudder. My entire body lights up in red-hot desire as he grinds his stomach onto me, and I can't help but let a broken moan escape my lips. I also cant help but think that THIS is where I need to be, THIS is WHO I need to be.

It feels way too soon as he breaks it off, pulling away slightly.

"Meet me here in an hour for dinner." He whispers, kissing my forehead and disappearing out of the commons room.

"Car! Haha!" Effie laughs, nibbling my fingers, and Cleo licks my cheek, giggling as well.

"Shut up!" I laugh, but my mind is euphoric, still pondering on what it all meant.

We head back up to the room, and I see someone has dropped off all of my bags, so I organize them into the closet.

The closet has a large bathroom attached, and it is pre-loaded with the essentials, tooth paste, tooth brush, etc.

I look at the clothes in the closet, and realize that they are uniforms. There are long-sleeve, short-sleeve, pants and shorts. The same uniform in a thousand different variations. I pull out one at random, and it looks almost like a workout uniform. Its a light tanktop, made of a silky material with the signature P of Team Plasma on the chest, and a larger one printed on the back. The bottom is a pair of workout shorts, with the insignia on one of the butt cheeks.

I hold it up, and both Effie and Cleo jump and clap.

"Should I try it on?" I ask, and they go ballistic, so I take it to the bathroom, laughing.

I throw it on, and look in the large mirror above the sink.

The shirt is quite tight around the biceps, I feel that I could tear it if I flex to hard, but the chest and ab's area sits nice and snug. The shorts on the other hand, are very tight, and show off a lot more than I would like to.

I walk out of the bathroom.

"Well, girls! How do I look?" I twirl in spot.

"Those shorts are SO hot." I stop, spotting Cosmo out of the corner of my eye.

"Um... Thanks?" I grab the nearest thing, a shirt from my bag, and cover myself.

"Why do that? You got it, might as well show it." He laughs, walking closer.

"Nice gig you got here, huh?" He asks, running his hands along the uniforms.

"Yes. Now, why are you here?" I ask, and he smiles, now only a couple of feet away.

"Wanted to see how you were doing. Checked on Sky, he's good. He doesn't like how big his room is." He steps closer, now only inches from my face.

"What about you, darling? How are you?" His voice is so deep, so commanding, and I find myself unable to resist as he lifts my chin, kissing me gently.

It's only for a second, but it has the desired effect.

"I'll see you for dinner." He smiles, causing my heart to flutter, and disappears out the front door.

Cleo and Effie are sat on the bed, giving me an awkward look.

"I seriously can't deal with this right now!" I moan, falling onto the bed.

N or Cosmo? I could have either, but having one means not having the other! This is hopeless!

Cleo kisses my cheek, gesturing to my outfit.

"You like it?" I ask, and they both nod.

"I need thicker shorts..." I say, and they both laugh.

Me, Effie, and Cleo take the slide down again, for dinner.

We fly out of the open mouth of the Dragonite, onto the same couch as before, but I am able to land on my feet this time.

I turn to see if anyone has arrived yet, and see only Primrose, donning a very pretty sundress, with the Plasma logo on the breast, and she is wearing a pink hairband, which holds all of her wild, electric blue hair back. She has on a pair of high-heeled, dark burgundy boots, which go up until I cant see them under the dress.

Her eyes are wide, following my entrance.

"Hey." I say, and she shakes her head.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" She gasps, running over, dress billowing behind her.

"It's... um... a slide?" I say, and she jumps and claps.

"Oh! I LOVE slides! Can I try it sometime?" She asks, and giggles as I nod.

"Nice shorts." She laughs, and my face goes red.

I found a different pair of shorts, which were a bit thicker, but just as tight. I kept the silk shirt on, and grabbed a new pair of runners from the closet.

Effie slides out next, Cleo soon after.

I hear Princess from behind Prim, and she runs out to greet her fellow pokemon.

"So, how's your room?" I ask, and her eyes go wide.

"It's amazing! I grew up in the foster system, so my rooms have always been shared or-"

"Foster system?" I ask, and her expression darkens a little.

"My parents died when I was a kid, I dont really remember them." She goes to keep talking, but is cut off as Cosmo and Sky enter the room.

Cosmo gives me a wink that makes my body numb, and N walks in as well.

N does a double take as he one-ups me, taking in my shorts, but shakes his head, muttering something, before waving us to follow.

"Now, here at the castle we do offer many amenities for you guys, including post-secondary schooling, should you want it." Prim gasps, raising her hand.

"Yes, Prim?"

"Do you guys offer courses in designing clothing?" She asks, and almost faints as N nods.

"We have an absolutely phenomenal designer here at the castle. Her name is Minerva, and I am sure she would love an apprentice. Should I contact her for you? You could even meet her at dinner?" He asks, and she nods her head so hard she almost detaches it.

We come to a large door, which N throws open, revealing the dining hall.

There are about a hundred people dispersed throughout the many small tables, and the aroma is thick and sweet.

N leads us down, through rows of people and tables, and we stop every once in a while to shake hands with people of importance.

Finally, we end up at a table near the front, and the front of the dining hall is a large stage, ringed with torches and a large chandelier hanging in the middle.

We sit, N on one side of me and Cosmo on the other. An older lady kisses N's forehead, before sitting down opposite us, beside Prim.

"Everyone, this is Minerva." Prim instantly turns.

"What an honour to meet you!" Prim shakes her hand, and they instantly become friends, talking design terms, among other things.

I'm about to ask N a question, when a loud gong rings across the room.

"DINNER IS SERVED!" A small, pudgy man stands atop the stage, but his voice bellows across the entire room.

"That's Chef. He may seem small, but wait until you see his cooking!" N whispers in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

Then, out of a large door beside the stage, people start pouring out, holding hundreds upon hundreds of plates.

A few stop by our table, unloading enough food onto our table to feed a small army.

Dinner, has in fact, been served.

After we finish our meal, which consisted of chicken, bread, salad, and so many different kinds of rice, we thank the Chef, who is actually quite nice, and N leads us back to our dorms, where everyone else is sitting in the commons room, calming down after dinner.

"Well, I will see you guys all down here tomorrow, just after dawn. Any questions before I head out?" I raise my hand, and he smiles.

"Are we allowed out after dark?" I ask, and he laughs.

"Of course! Think of this as your home. We will not stop you from going ANYWHERE on site, at any time." We nod, and he turns, heading out.

"Well, goodnight guys!" Prim hugs us all, before scooping an exhausted looking Princess up, and heading to her dorm.

"I'm going to hit the hay, to. Night guys." Skylar waves as he takes off.

"What about you?" Cosmo asks, a devilish grin in his eyes.

"Bed." I say curtly, though I make sure to wink as I pass by.

I hear him sigh behind me as I walk up the stairs.

I change quickly ready to get to bed, and Effie and Cleo are already asleep as I crawl in.

So many things fly through my head as I try to sleep.

Will I have to choose, between the muscular, charming Cosmo, or the lanky, but kind hearted N?

I groan inwardly to myself, as I ponder.

Sleep comes quickly after that.


	7. Chapter 6

I get up early, wanting to get a run in before we start our tour.

I change back into the shorts and shirt from last night, and wake Effie and Cleo.

"I'm going for a run, you girls in?" They both growl, pulling the blankets back up, and I laugh.

"I'll be back in an hour, be ready!" I tie my shoes up, and jump down the slide.

I land quickly and quietly into the commons room, and Meloa squeals as I appear.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Meloa. I didn't mean to scare you!" She laughs, waving me off.

"Is okay, Mr. N always does me a scared." She giggles, her accent thick, as she pats my arm.

I wave as I leave, and make for the courtyard. It's a bit bigger than my old neighborhood, which makes it the perfect distance.

I enter the cool, morning air, and notice Prim, who is sitting on a nearby bench with Minerva, sipping from a steaming mug.

"Hey you!" Prim hugs me as I approach.

"Hello." I shake Minerva's hand, and she smiles.

I make polite conversation with them for a few minutes, before breaking off to begin my run.

Running has always given me time to think. Whenever I've ever had to make any decision that is somewhat big, like what I should buy mom for her birthday, or what I should make for dinner, I always run first, to clear my head.

I decide that three laps is enough, and fall into a steady rhythm.

As I run, I think about my family. Think about how Kai would just be getting up for school, how Mom is probably washing last-night's dishes, how Missy is probably still asleep in my bed.

Then I think about N. And the kiss, and what it meant.

That wasn't a 'Hey you!' kiss, it was more of a 'Dont EVER let me go' kind of kiss.

And then Cosmo to top it all off? What?

That kiss didn't mean as much as the one with N, but I still can't quite figure it out.

I don't realize how far I've run, till I see N, sitting on the steps that lead to the dorms. I'm almost dripping with sweat, having over-exerted myself as I got faster without realizing it.

I stop in front of him, breathing heavily, and he holds out a bottle of water.

"Here, drink this." He laughs as I take the entire bottle in one gulp, but it helps to slow my breathing.

"What are you doing?" He asks, resting his head on his hand.

"Thinking." I gasp, finally starting to catch my breath.

"Oh? About?" He inquires, a smirk playing on the corners of his lips.

"Shut up." I laugh, and he laughs too, playfully pushing my arm.

"I have to shower, I'll meet you in the commons room in a bit." I laugh, as he nods and pouts dramatically.

I head back to my room, where Effie and Cleo are finally awake, and chatting away.

"Hey girls." I kiss them both before hopping into the shower.

"Alright everyone, we will now begin our tour." N begins, as we all meet in the commons room.

He leads us out, and down a hallway we haven't been to before.

"First, the training grounds. Here, you can train your pokemon to be big and strong, or for those who like to exercise-" He looks directly at me, and Prim giggles. Cosmo gives me a confused look. "-there is a running track, and lots of weight lifting equipment."

We walk by a large glass window, that spans the entire hallway, and ends in a glass door that leads out to the grounds. The grounds are behind the castle, and end in a ivory beach, that leads out to what looks to be a large lake.

He leads us right out, into the morning sun and crisp air.

"The lake is fair game for pokemon, please never hesitate to go on a catching spree!" As he finishes, there is a large ripple just off the shore.

Shooting out from the water, a large pokemon emerges. It's pink body emerges first, followed by its fins. It twirls in the air, throwing water all around and making rainbows appear all over. She winks at us, before falling back into the lake with barely a ripple.

"Ah, Jellicent! She's one of the first pokemon I released into the pond, almost six years ago now. No-ones been able to catch her, even though many have tried.

Prim's eyes light up.

"What a beauty..."

"That she is. Now, next we head to..."

N leads us around the rest of the castle, showing us the designer-y, as Minerva called it, the kitchens, the study areas and library, and finally back around to the inner courtyard.

"Now, there are a LOT more interesting places here and around the castle, but I will let you figure the rest out! Now, we will head down to Humilau, and I can show you the best places to eat!" We all laugh as he leads us through another Hallway, out to the front where a car is waiting.

"There is always a chaperone that will take you down to the city, but anywhere past there is of your own volition." We all hop into a bigger car, then take off.

We make it to Humilau in about half an hour, and the car drops us off at the entrance.

"Here in Humilau, everything is boosted above the water by stilts, but dont let that scare you! See those holes in the wood?" He points to a few large openings along the walkway, and we nod.

"The citizens use those to get around, so don't be too scared if someone jumps up beside you!" As if on cue, a mother and her young son pull themselves out of one of the openings, and walk down the path like nothing happened.

"There are a few restaraunts, and a couple shops in the area, but remember, this is technically still a village." N waves at a woman who walks by, and she bows quickly, a beaming smile on her face.

N leads us right into a larger building, that is on it's own platform, near the middle of town.

"This is the gym. Now, as Team Plasma recruits, you are not YET allowed to battle the gym circuit. After you are promoted to Executive, or Associate, then you can. But until then, train your pokemon to the best of yours and their abilities." We walk in, and my eyes light up with wonder.

First thing I notice is all of the water. We enter the building, and right away the floor gives way to floating platforms. There are large lily pads floating lazily along a set route, where the water is going in a complete circle around the gym. There are a few large fountains, bursting right out of the water itself, and they rain a shimmering mist along the entire gym. There are tonne's of pokemon, swimming and splashing around in the water, and even a few that climb the fountains, and dive off of the top. Along the many platforms floating around the gym, there are trainers waiting, pruning the many aquatic plants that are floating about. At the very back of the gym, there is a large platform.

"Oh, Everyone, meet Marlon!" N waves at a man, who is swimming extremely quickly towards us.

He waves quickly, before diving under the water, and bursting out at high speed. He somersaults over top of us, landing quietly and gracefully. He spreads his arms and bows dramatically.

"Why hello there, my dear N! How's it going?" He stands, and his smile almost knocks me off my feet.

He's wearing tight striped turquoise pants, that look to be made out of spandex, or something else water proof, and look to be quite uncomfortable, size wise. The legs have large fins coming off of them, and they quickly melt into the legs of the pants as he clicks his heels together. He is not wearing a shirt, and water drips down his impeccably sculpted body, causing my face to go red. His upper body is quite dark and tanned, but I notice the line where his pants have slid down a bit, and how pale he is under them. His dark navy blue hair is swept to the side, out of his face. His eyes pierce right into me, the light blue of his iris' melting me from the inside.

He notices Prim, and quickly steps over, kissing her hand.

"Well hello there, pretty lady!" He winks, and her eyes flutter for a moment.

"Oh no, we are NOT doing that again, Marlon!" N pushes Prim lightly towards me.

"Awe, but why not?" He pouts, and they both laugh.

"So, these are the new recruits, eh?" He looks us all over, smiling and shaking our hands.

"That they are! A very promising group, as you can tell." Marlon nods, scratching his chin.

"Any of you got water pokemon yet?" He asks, and his eyebrows go up as I raise my hand.

"I have one, Persephone." He smiles wildly at me.

"Can I meet her?" He asks, all of a sudden reminding me of a kid on Christmas.

I laugh, nodding, and send Effie out.

"Car!" She flips gracefully, landing in my arms.

"A Carvanha! Wow!" He leans forward, readily offering his fingers to the excited Effie, who chomps on them happily.

"Sorry, she tends to bite when shes excited." I blush, embarrassed, and he shakes his head vigorously.

"It's perfectly okay, all pokemon show their emotions in different way's. My parents had a Sharpedo that would nibble your toes when you swam." He laughs as Effie finally lets go, beaming up at him, before taking off into the water, socializing.

"Sharpedo?" Prim asks, and Marlon nods.

"The evolved form of little miss here." He grabs a handful of something from a pack I cant quite see, throwing it across th water. All of the pokemon swim quickly up, taking a few pieces of what looks to be food.

"Well, I have to get these guy's back, so they can explore for a bit. Can we expect you up for dinner tonight?" N asks, and Marlon winks at Prim again before answering.

"Of course. Should I bring the usual?" He asks, hands on his hips.

"Yep! Bring it by a bit earlier, we will get it all set up. Cilan, Chili, and Cress are cooking again." Marlon's eye's light up.

"The triplets are coming?" He laughs and jumps, clapping.

N smiles, and we walk out.

We make it back to the castle a while later, and N sets us free, but gently grabs my arm to hold me back.

Everyone waves and heads out, but Cosmo spares me a weird glance before leaving.

"Whats up?" I ask, and he smiles, leading me into the castle. We head right up through the commons room, the stairway, and into my room.

He sits me on the bed, and sits beside me, placing both of his hands in my lap.

"Yes?" I ask quietly, and he looks up at me, his eyes alight.

"I have a proposition for you." He asks, his voice excited.

"Okay..." I gesture for more information, and he giggles.

"Well, and I know this is pretty early on, but..." He stops, sighing as he looks into my eyes.

"But...?" I drag on, and he laughs again.

"I want you to assist me on a trip." His eyes go wide as he awaits my answer.

"A... trip?" He nods.

"I have to head over to Nimbasa City, help out a bit with their shelters." He explains, and I nod slowly.

"When would we be leaving?" I inquire, squeezing his hand gently.

"Tonight, after dinner. The triplets will come with us, and drop us off on their way." I nod.

"Okay. I'm in." I say after a few moments of deliberation.

"Really? Thats fantastic!" He leans in, locking our lips together.

He pushes me back, down onto the bed, and I'm just starting to get excited when the door opens.

"Hey, I was wondering if I could borrow-" Prim stops short, eyes wide.

N quickly jumps off, walking over to her.

"Borrow what, sweetheart?" He asks gently.

Her eyes dart awkwardly between us for a second, before she answers.

"I was hoping to borrow a pair of shorts. I saw how tight they were, and wanted to try loosening them up." She finally stammers out.

"Oh, yes please!" I hop up, grabbing a few pairs from my closet, and handing them to her, her beaming smile returned.

"Thanks so much! You wont regret this!" She turns quickly, her sundress billowing behind her as she leaves.

She turns at the door, leaning back a bit.

"By the way? Couple goals." She giggles at our red faces, then skips out, and I can hear Princess yapping in the stair well.

"Oh, great..." I moan, and he laughs.

"What? The thought of being with me is that bad?" He tries to put on a serious face, but he laughs through it.

"It's not that its BAD, per se, its more that... I don't want the other recruits thinking that..." I trail off, and he nods.

"Fair enough, hun. I wont force a relationship that isn't wanted. Maybe later?" He asks, and I nod.

"Once I've been here a while, then we can always talk about it." He nods.

"Pack some bags, there are Plasma bags in your closet. Bring mostly uniforms, but a couple leisure outfits, jeans, that sort of thing." I nod.

He leans in, kissing me gently, and sending my heart into my stomach.

"Even though we may not be together, doesn't mean we cant BE together." He whispers.

He plants one more kiss, before launching himself down the slide.

"WHOOOOoooo..."

Laughing, I shake my head, and head to pack my bags.

"What do you think we're having for dinner tonight? Its a pretty luxurious event, apparently. Only us recruits, N, Marlon, and those triplet guys." Prim asks as we walk.

Her hand is linked with my arm as we walk, and she leans against me.

"I'm not sure, but I hope its good!" I moan slightly at the thought of food, having forgotten to eaten all day.

She laughs, patting my arm, then she stands straight.

"Wait." She stops me, then stands in front of me, studying my arm.

"Flex for me." She asks, and I do, my face etched in confusion.

As I flex, the fabric against my bicep tears slightly.

"You know, I can fix that for you!" She laughs at my expression.

She had brought both pairs of my shorts back earlier, and done an amazing job at stitching in more fabric on the sides, to give it more give in the front. It now fits quite well, and is comfortable to sit in.

"Oh my god, Prim, please. I would love you to death!" She laughs, and we walk into the dining room.

"Hey guys!" Marlon waves as we enter. Effie instantly swims through the air, over to him.

"Hey sweetheart!" He kisses her fins, and lets her go. She instantly heads back for Princess and Cleo, and they saunter off.

"Whats for dinner?" Prim asks, smiling.

"Fresh pasta, with a homemade meat sauce! I also brought some ingredients so that Cilan could make us his signature garlic bread." My mouth waters as he finishes.

We grab seats next to Cosmo and Sky, before N walks in.

He sits directly across from me, but spares me a quick wink as he sits.

"Alrighty guys! The triplets should-" Hes cut off as three men walk on stage.

They all have distinct colours, one red, one green, and one blue.

"Dinner!"

"Is!

"SERVED!"

The words connect, and soon a handful of people walk out of a back door, carrying steaming plates of food.

"Dig in!" N throws his hands up in a grande gesture, but we've already started.

"So, you all packed?" He asks, as we walk up the stairs back to my room.

"Yeah, all ready to go."

"Awesome. Grab your bags and meet me out in the courtyard in half an hour." He kisses me gently, before heading back down the stairs.

I open the door, and both Effie and Cleo rush past me to get in bed.

"Girls, we arent going to bed yet!" I laugh as hey both growl at me.

I grab my two bags, and place them by the door. I quickly shower and shave, get changed, then head down to the courtyard with two very grumpy pokemon.

As I enter the commons room, I see Prim coming out of the girls tower with some bags as well.

"Oh! Hey you!" She smiles as I approach.

"Hey Prim! Whats up?"

"Oh, just meeting N in the courtyard for something. Something to do with a trip?" She tilts her head in confusion, and Princess jumps into my free arm.

"Hey sweetheart!" I kiss her playfully before letting her go to run around with Effie and Cleo.

"Me too! We are going to Nimbasa City, not sure for what though." Her eyes light up.

"Ooh! A trip! Yay!" We hug and laugh, before heading back down to the courtyard.

We exit the castle, and there is a small plane on one side of the courtyard, with N's small figure standing beside it.

We hurry over, the chill evening air nipping at our skin, and enter quickly.

"Glad you guys came, now lets get this show on the road!" N laughs as the plane takes off.


	8. Chapter 7

"Whoa..." Prim gasps as the bright lights of Nimbasa appear from behind a mountain peak.

Her eyes sparkle at the wonder of it all.

"Isn't it grand?" N sighs in awe as well.

I plaster my face against the window, taking it all in.

There are many strobe lights, firing off into the night sky and waving at us as we approach, and there are also lots of flying type pokemon floating lazily around as well. There are lights of every hue, from red to blue, and I can't even begin to focus on one spot.

The plane lands swiftly on a tarmac set out on the outskirts of town, and slowly rolls to a stop.

N opens the door, and there is a car waiting, with a woman standing in front of it.

She has long black hair, almost floor length. It is all braided along the side of her body, and sways in the evening breeze. She is wearing a large pair of headphones, with antennae that stick up almost a foot, and her two piece body suit is quite tight, and small. It is a bright yellow, with lighter blue strips along the edges.

"Elesa!" Prim gasps, hand to her mouth.

"N, darling!" She walks up, and I see she is wearing high heeled boots.

"Elesa, how are you my dear?" He hugs her, before gesturing to us.

"These are two of my newest recruits, and they are quite the promising bunch! This is Primrose, an aspiring fashion designer, with quite the natural talent, and this here is-" The plane revs to life as it takes off behind us, "- and he, as you can see, is quite the strong young man." Elesa walks over, hugging me first, then she steps over to Prim.

"I would absolutely LOVE to see some of your work sometime, hun!" She hugs Prim, who now has tears in her eyes.

"Oh my gosh, Miss Elesa, I would love for that to!" Elesa laughs, throwing an arm around the girl as we head to the car, our bags now packed inside the trunk.

"Well, I'll tell you what! I have a show coming up, in about a week from today. If you can provide me with something under the theme 'water', by next... lets say... Tuesday? Then I will gladly wear it on the runway." Prim's face sets in a hard line of determination, and shes already whipped out a notepad from who knows where, and is taking notes.

Me and N jump in the very back of the car, which looks to be a seven-seater, while Elesa and Prim hop in the middle.

"... what shades of blue are you comfortable with?" Prim is asking.

"Teal, Aquamarine, Turquoise, Sky..." Elesa lists them off, and N turns to me.

"So, are you excited?" He asks, and I nod.

"Not sure for what, but I am." I say, and realize my head is drooping a little, the day finally catching up to me.

"Oh, hun. We will be at the hotel soon. Me and you are sharing a room, if thats okay? I promise to explain everything tomorrow." He brushes a stray wisp of my honey blond hair out of my face.

"Okay." I say quietly, trying to stay awake against the calm rocking of the car as it zooms through the city.

We make it to the city pretty quick after that, and N rushes me right up to the room, a bell person following suite with our bags.

"You lay down, I have some stuff to finalize." He kisses me gently, laying me down on the bed.

I'm asleep before I even hit the pillow.

I wake up early, having not gotten out of the system of waking up for school.

I go to stretch, but realize quickly that there is another body against me, and I freeze, before remembering that it's just N.

Hes curled against my side, one leg thrown over mine and his head against my shoulder. He moans quietly when I try to move.

Laughing, I check my phone, which somehow got plugged in and is beside me on the table.

It's barely seven a.m.

"Hey, N. I have to get going if I want to fit in a run before we start." He moans again, but moves so I can get out.

I gently kiss his forehead, as he buries himself in the blankets again.

Chuckling to myself, I change into a pair of workout shorts, and a loose tank top, before heading out.

I'm almost to the door when I realize that Cleo and Effie are sleeping in a small bed in the corner, and Cleo opens an eye as I pass.

"Up for a run?" I whisper, and she shrugs, stretching and following as she yawns, but Effie growls and snatches the warm spot where Cleo had been.

I open the door, letting Cleo out, then follow suite, making sure I have my room key handy.

The door closes gently, but I hear a familiar yipping from down the hall.

"Arf! Arfarf!" Princess runs up, and I hug her quickly.

"Shh! We have to stay quiet, hun!" She nods, panting as she licks my face.

"Hey!" Prim strolls up, wearing another beautiful sundress, with a lace backing and the plasma insignia sewed onto the front breast.

"Hey Prim, hows it going?" I hug her.

"Going to meet Elesa at the gym, going to meet with her designer and go over possible outfit ideas with her." She gestures to her backpack, which is stuffed full with papers that stick out the top.

"You did those all last night?" I ask, incredulous.

"Of course! I had to have ideas to present for today!" She laughs, as if I should have known that.

"What are you up to?" She asks, taking in my outfit and Cleo, who now seems eager to get out.

"Going for a run, Cleo is going to join." She nods.

"Well, I will see you later for the job!" I hug her again, and we go separate ways down the hall.

Luckily, we are on the top floor, so the stairs themselves are a good cardio workout, and I'm starting to feel the runners high as we reach the bottom.

"Mrow?" Cleo asks, and i nod.

"Around the block a few times, and don't hold back!" She giggles, as I fling open the door and take off.

We make two whole laps, before I hear someone shouting behind us.

"Cleo?" I pant, and she slows down.

"Slow down!" The voice shouts from behind me, and I turn to see who it is, as they collide with me.

"Whoa! Didn't mean to hit you, darling!" Elesa laughs, stepping back.

"Oh! How's it going Miss Elesa?" I ask, and she shakes her head, chuckling.

"Just Elesa is fine, dear. And I was just finishing up MY morning run, with Zebby here." I notice the large electric horse-like pokemon trotting up behind her.

"Hey!" I pet it's nose gently, and it whinnies.

"What are you doing now?" She asks, and I shrug.

"Going to shower, probably eat something, then get ready for whatever N has in store for us today." I ask, and she nods.

"Well, I am taking Primrose out for breakfast here pretty quick, going to get changed first. Care to join us? My treat." She smiles, and I nod.

"Sure! Should I grab N?" She nods.

"Of course! Meet us at my gym in half an hour." I nod, and we part ways.

I'm practically dripping in sweat as we get back to the room, having sprinted the last couple hundred meters, and mounted the stairs in record time.

Cleo drops beside Effie, drinking gratefully from a water bowl that has been provided, as I walk over to where N is snoring.

"Hey!" I poke his shoulder gently at first, before I resort to tickling him.

"Uhh... HUH? NO! STOP!" He laughs, finally sitting up.

"Elesa and Prim are meeting us at her gym in like twenty minutes! Get up!" I laugh as his eyes go wide, and he shoots into the bathroom.

"Hey! Thats not fair!" I shout, knocking on the door.

"Your welcome to come in!" He laughs as the shower starts.

Funny thing is, I actually considered it.

"Sorry we're late!" I pant as we finally make it.

"Your okay! We were just discussing the games you guys are volunteering for!" Elesa laughs as N finally catches up.

"Games?" I ask, turning to N, who shrugs.

"Guess the Purrloin is out of the bag, huh?" He laughs.

"You guys will be refereeing today, Prim in the small dome and you in the bigger one." Elesa explains.

"Sick!" I laugh, clapping excitedly. I have reffed for years at the school, it's something I love to do.

"What games?" I ask, bouncing from foot to foot.

"Tennis for Prim, Baseball for you." She smiles as my eyes light up.

"Yes!" I laugh again, hugging her.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" She laughs, taking us to a cafe beside her gym.

"Ready?" N asks, as I fix my striped shirt and re position my hat for the thousandth time.

"I was BORN for this, N. Don't you worry about me." I stand up from tying my shoe, and he pushes me roughly against the lockers, kissing me aggressively.

"Your so hot when your excited." He whispers in my ear, kissing me again.

My body starts to buzz off of the adrenaline coursing through me, and I kiss him back, even harder.

"GAMES IN TEN MINUTES!" A voice calls, wrecking the mood.

N pulls back, and I'm both amused yet upset that his lips are swollen, and I can only imagine what mine look like.

"I'll see you after. Have fun." He kisses me again, gently, and heads out.

I walk out to the field.

"Little league?" I ask, and The other ref laughs.

"No-one told you either, huh?" He chuckles.

I bend onto my knees, hugging one of the little girls that walks up to me.

"You guys play fair, okay? I don't want to see any cheaters!" I say in my best mock-stern voice, which the kids see right through and sets them all giggling as they head to their spots.

There are two mini fields, both with two refs and two official-pokemon.

On our side is me and a guy named Reid, and for our pokemon it's Effie and Frosty, Reid's Snorunt.

Cleo is happily sitting in the stands with N, quietly snoozing on his lap.

"Alrighty guys! Remember, I want a fair game! Do you all remember the rules?" Reid asks, and all of them nod.

"Okay... Three... Two... Sally, I saw that! Okay... GO!" Reid shouts, and they're off.

The kid at home smokes the ball a good thirty-forty feet, and all of the out fielders run to catch it as he starts his lap.

Effie keeps pace with the kid, encouraging him.

"Car! Car!" She says, and the kid bursts into giggles as he makes it to first plate, just as the outfielders get to the ball.

He looks at me with wild eyes, and I gesture for him to keep going.

He squeals as he rips off the plate, going like four kilometers an hour, a slow bullet on the line.

He makes it just before the baseman catches the ball, so he's safe.

"Yah!" I throw my fist up, giving him a thumbs up.

The next batter steps up, a young girl with wild blond hair that sticks out from under her helmet is beautiful golden curls.

"Sally, no cheating!" I shout over, and she wiggles her finger at me.

"Of course, ref! I would never!" She giggles.

She smokes the ball off of the stand, way into the far end of the field.

"The winners are..." Reid pauses for effect, and all of the kids start pounding on the ground for a drum roll.

"The Blue Blitzles!" The winning team laughs and jumps around, while the losing team claps respectively.

"But hey, whos ready for lunch?" I shout, and all of the kids go nuts with cheering.

The arenas pay for all of the teams to go out to a local pizza parlor to hang out and play around to un-wind.

"Find your moms and dads, and meet us outside in half an hour!" Reid informs them, and their sagely nods make me chuckle as they run off into the stands to their waiting family members.

The boy who had batted first, his name is Garret, I found out, is hugging Effie goodbye.

"Bye bye Effie! See you at lunch!" He laughs as she gently nibbles his outstretched fingers.

He takes off, waving to us as he goes.

"Well, time to get ready for part two!" I laugh as Reid throws his arm around Frosty, and we take off to the ref's change rooms.

N is waiting in mine, the shower already running.

"I'll take Effie, and meet you outside." He smiles, grabbing Effie in his free hand, while his other holds the still-sleeping Cleo.

I strip, hopping in.

As I wash my hair, all I can think about is N. Would it be so bad If we were together? I mean, Cosmo hasn't made any moves on me lately, maybe hes just not interested anymore? But then, I think, would I even WANT to be with Cosmo? He seems quite arrogant, while N is passionate and goes for what he wants.

I sigh, washing the shampoo out.

"I can't believe this!" I moan, throwing a handful of conditioner into my hair, which has now gotten long enough to reach my eyes.

"Believe what?" I hear a quiet, familiar voice behind me.

Chuckling to myself, I gesture for him to enter, and hes already stripped.

"Wow." N pants, as we get dressed after.

"Yeah, wow." I agree, pulling my underwear on, then my pants.

"That was..."

"Amazing." I agree again.

"We should totally do that again!" I laugh at his optimism.

"Maybe. If you behave." I kiss him gently, the taste of him addicting to me.

"Hm." He moans against me, pulling his shirt on.

We quickly head out, and see that everyone is finally gathered.

Cleo and Effie stick to my legs as we exit, having been left to fend for themselves in the throng of children.

"Mr. Ref sir!" Sally walks up, tugging on my pants.

"Hey Sally! Whats up?" I ask, bending down to talk to her.

"Are you going to be the ref for our game tomorrow, to?" She asks, and I notice a number of other kids turn, to hear my answer.

I look up at N, and he shrugs, nodding.

"I sure am!" I laugh as she squeals, hugging me.

A lady wearing jeans and a camisole walks up, shaking my hand.

"Hey there! I'm Patricia, Sally's mom. This may be a bit forward, but me and some of the other mom's were wondering, how old are you? And are you single?" N snorts behind me, and she shoots him a dirty look, before returning to her cheery smile.

"Um... 19 this year..." I rub my bicep, nervous, and her eyes follow the movement. I notice some of the other women in the crowd watching me with lustful stares, and some of the dads looking like they want to punch me.

"19! Wow! So young! But your arms, they're just so... BIG! That must have taken YEARS!" She fawns, fanning her face with a fan she pulled out of her pink purse.

" Yes... but... um... And... Um..." I stutter, as she takes a step towards me, now uncomfortably close.

Thankfully, N saves the day.

"Hey, hun! You got something there..." He pulls my face down to his, kissing me passionately, then pretending to get something off my lip.

"Got it." He winks at me, then goes back to his conversation.

"I'm in a relationship." I finish, but shes already walking away, the other moms shooting daggers at me with their eyes, and the dads laughing so hard they might bust a gut.

Reid makes his way through the crowd towards me.

"Well, THAT was a bold statement." He laughs as I blush.

"Don't worry, they did the same thing to me when I started. My girlfriend made a big point out of making out with me on the field when she found out." He pats my back, leading me to the front.

"See you later?" I shout to N over the noise, and he smiles at me over his shoulder.

"Who's ready for some pizza?!" I shout when we get to the front, and everyone cheers.

"Well, THAT was interesting." I sigh, sinking into a chair at Elesa's gym.

"The look on those mom's faces when I kissed you? I wish I had a camera!" N snorts, laughing at the thought.

"I mean, isn't that technically sexual harassment?" I laugh with him, and the comment sets him off again as he nods.

"Whats sexual harassment?" Prim asks, entering with Elesa.

"Oh, just some horny baseball moms looking for their next young piece of meat!" N gasps, trying to breathe but he keeps laughing, and now I'm in tears i'm laughing so hard.

Elesa chuckles, and Prim laughs as well.

"If it makes you feel any better, one of the tennis players asked me out, and to save me from embarrassment, Elesa put her hand around my waist. His face was SO red!" Prim giggles, and Elesa finally laughs.

"How was baseball?" Elesa asks, after having to catch her breath again.

"You mean little league? It was a blast. I'm going back tomorrow." I answer, finally calmed down enough to talk normally.

"Me too! I'll be reffing with you tomorrow!" Prim hugs me, but quickly pulls back, looking between me and N and giggling.

"What?" I ask, defensive now. "Do I smell?"

"No..." She giggles, and that was the end of that conversation.

"Well, I have to get ready for a show in Anville tonight. Prim, would you like to come?" Elesa asks, and Prim's eyes light up.

"Would I! It would be a dream come true!" She grabs her bag, shouts something about being back in a minute, then disappears.

N gestures for me to follow her to the hotel, and sits beside Elesa, whispering something as I leave.

"Prim!" I shout, as she enters the chaperones car. I hop in beside her.

"What was that about, earlier?" I ask, and she giggles.

"Well, first of all, you smell like him. Second, you both look like someone gave you a million dollars. It's not hard to connect the dots." She says quietly.

"Shoot. It was in the shower, I didnt think-." I cut myself off as her eyes grow wide.

"The shower? Oh my GOD, I need info!" She turns, putting her hands in my lap.

"Prim no!" I turn away, laughing.

"You just had sex in a SHOWER at LITTLE LEAGUE baseball, you better spill boy!" She laughs at my horrified expression, as I realize that I had just had sex in a shower at LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL.

"Well, fine..."

Prim waves as the car takes her and Elesa to the train station, and me and N head back inside.

"Well, it's almost six. What do you want to do?" He asks, and I walk over to a local map that is framed on a wall nearby.

"Maybe get some training in? Effie and Cleo have yet to start theirs." I think out loud, and N nods.

"Looks like Routes 4, 5, and 16 are easily accesible from here..." I point on the map, and N shakes his head.

"Route 5 is closed for construction, and Route 4 is going to take for ever to get to, because of rush hour traffic." He mentions.

"Well, then Route 16 it is!" We head up to the room, quickly change, then head out.


	9. Chapter 8

We make it across Nimbasa and into Route 16 relatively quickly, making good time along side streets and alleyways.

"So, have you thought of catching any more pokemon yet?" N asks as we trudge through the tall grass, searching for our first victim.

"I've considered it, but it would have to be the right one. I'm content with training Cleo and Effie at the moment, adding another one would just confuse both me and them." He nods his understanding.

He goes to say something else, but there is a rustle from in front of us.

"Effie, go!" I point, and she shoots forward, into a small clearing whew there are two small pokemon.

One is a small, humanoid creature, with wide blue eyes and a petite black and purple frame, and it giggles at us as we appear, covering its mouth with its tiny hands. The second is larger, with huge ears covered in the same fur that surrounds its body, a light grey. It's eyes go hard as it sees us.

"Gothita, and Minccino." N states, pointing to each of them respectively.

"Cleo, guess your up to!" Cleo jumps nimbly over Effie, landing gracefully between the pokemon and her.

They take defensive positions, as do the wild pokemon.

"Effie, use Bite on Gothita! Cleo, Sand Attack on Minccino!" I shout, and the battle begins.

Effie shoots forward with lightning speed, chomping hard on Gothita's leg, and knocking her down as she sends a weak Confusion at Cleo.

Cleo darts over to where Minccino is standing, preparing an attack i've never seen before- "Baby Doll Eyes!", as N shouts- and throws handful after handful of sand into its eyes, causing it to miss completely.

"Effie, AquaJet! Cleo, Fury Swipes!"

Effie, who is still holding onto Gothita's leg, takes off, dragginf her along, and summons a dense stream of water around them, damaging Gothita into submission. Effie drops the unconscious Psychic type to the ground gently, and she doesnt get ack up. Effie swims over to where Cleo is savagely beating the small mouse pokemon, leaving large red cuts down its entire body.

"Effie, finish it with Bite!" Effie darts in, and delivers a devastating bite onto Minccino's tail, knocking him out instantly.

"Yeah guys!" I hug them both as they approach, beaming smiles on their faces.

"That was... amazing!" N claps, laughing in excitement.

"Thank you!" I bow dramatically.

"You are a natural born pokemon trainer." N shakes his head in amazement.

I go to reply, but there's another rustle from the bush in front of us.

"Effie, Cleo, GO!"

The suns well down by time we get back to the hotel, and all four of us are bone-tired.

The training worked out well, though!

Cleo learned two new moves, Pursuit and Fake-Out, and Effie learned Ice-Fang.

"You girls go on up to bed, here's the key." I hand the key to Cleo, who tiredly nods, and they get into the elevator.

"Where are you going?" N asks, head tilted in confusion.

"I need food. I'm starving, and then I can bring some up to them." I nod toward the closing elevator door.

"Alright, well I'M going to bed. I'm tuckered right out, so I will see you when you get back." He kisses my hand, heading towards the other elevator.

I head out, to the convenience store on the corner of the street.

I'm just walking the aisles when I hear a familiar voice from behind me.

"Same idea, huh?" Prim asks, looking ready to drop.

"Food then bed." She nods.

"How was the show?" I ask, as we head up to the counter with our stuff, and her tired eyes light up.

"Amazing. Elesa is a goddess on the runway, and I got to meet with some pretty high-end designers from Unova, and even a lady from Alola." She smiles, and I hug her gently.

"Thats amazing, Prim! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks! So, what did you guys...do?" Her eyes have a mischievous glint to them.

"Shut up! No, we just trained. Or I did, I guess. Cleo and Effie learned some new moves., got to see some of the local wild pokemon." She nods, patting my arm softly.

"Thats so cool. I'm glad you guys had fun! Tomorrow is going to be a blast." We grab our stuff, now paid for, and head outside, moving slowly towards the hotel.

"I agree. It is going to be so much fun, as long as the moms dont hit on me again." I sigh, and Prim bursts into giggles.

"Or, you know... N forgets where the showers are..." I lightly smack her arm, and she giggles harder.

We make it up to the rooms, and part ways.

I quietly head in, trying not to wake anyone up.

Effie and Cleo are cuddled right up to each other, sleeping soundly on their bed, and N is sprawled across ours, taking the entire bed for himself.

I strip, jumping in beside him, gently pushing him over, and he instantly wraps around me.

"Your so... warm..." He mumbles, before passing out again.

Laughing softly, I rest my chin on his head, and sleep finds me quickly.

"I saw that, Sally!" Sally giggles, taking off back to home plate.

Prim gives me a thumbs up, smiling as Princess makes sure Sally gets back to plate safely and without incident.

"Try again!" I shake my head, laughing.

That was the second time Sally had tried to tap the ball gently, knocking it barely off the stand.

This time, though, she smokes the ball, and it flies across the field.

She takes off, Cleo and Princess right behind her.

Effie is taking a much deserved nap with N, back at the hotel.

Sally makes it to first, and takes off for second right away.

"Come on Sally!" Prim shouts, encouraging the seven year old to run faster.

But she doesnt quite make it to second before the ball gets there.

"Point for Red Relicanths! They win!" The scoreboard lights up, and Sally looks crestfallen.

"Hey!" I catch up with her, sitting beside her.

"I lost the game for my team." She pouts, tears in her eyes.

"Hey now, dont think like that! Think about how amazing that bat was! You almost hit Sinnoh!" I gasp in mock astonishment, and her eyes light up again.

"I did?" She asks, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Even MY mom in Kanto saw that one!" Her face brightens, a smile like never before gracing her lips.

She hugs me tightly, before running off the field with her team, ready to change and get pizza.

"You are amazing with kids, you know." Prim lets her neon blue hair down, and it waves around her shoulders.

"Thanks, but I just hate watching kids go through that. They dont deserve to feel like that." She nods, smiling.

"Well, lets go get some pizza. We head back tonight." I nod, and we head to the changing rooms.

"Thank you so much, Elesa, for everything. It means the world to me." Prim wipes the tears from her eyes as she hugs her mentor goodbye.

"Prim, you'll be coming to see me in less than a week!" Elesa laughs, but there are tears in her eyes as well.

"I know but..." Prim sniffles, shaking her head and stepping onto the plane, Princess hot on her heels.

"It was amazing to meet you, and I hope we meet again soon." Elesa says softly, hugging me tightly, before taking N to talk to him.

I get on the plane, Cleo and Effie both already situated in their seats.

A few minutes pass, before N enters, and the plane takes off.

"Where were YOU guys?" Cosmo asks as we exit the plane.

"Nimbasa City, volunteering for the sports domes." Prim shrugs. like it was nothing, and walks inside.

Cosmo grabs my arm gently, stopping me as I try to move past him.

"How was it?" He asks softly.

"It was amazing. I got to work with the little league, and got some intense training in." I answer, taking my arm back and heading up to bed.

"Hey!" Sky matches pace with me as I head upstairs.

"Sky! How's it going?"

"Good! I got a job volunteering twice a week in Humilau!" He says, and I clap him on the back.

"Congrats man! Thats awesome!"

"I hear you guys were in Nimbasa? Is it as nice as everyone says?" Sky asks, his eyes lit up.

"It's amazing, like Jubilife but bigger!" Hie eyes go as wide as saucers.

"AS BIG AS JUBILIFE?!" He gasps, stopping to go into his own room, and waving to me as I leave.

I wave back, before I finally get to my room.

I place my bags down, change into some comfier clothes, and check my phone.

3 MISSED VIDEO CALLS FROM Famjam

Famjam is the group chat with me, Matthew, Nareen, and Rayna.

The last missed call was not to long ago, so I call them back.

"...Hello?" Rayna's beautiful face pops up on my screen.

"Ray!" I almost cry, i'm so excited.

"Babe!" Her eyes light up.

"How are you!"

"I'm so good! Came to Alola a few weeks early! Oh, meet Takoda!" She leans out of the picture, and a small bird pokemon flies into the frame.

"Pik? PIK!" It chirps into the screen, and I wave enthusiastically.

"Wow! I have a new friend to! Meet Cleo!" Cleo jumps swiftly into my lap, and she prr's into the screen.

"Hey sweetheart!" Rayna laughs.

Matthew and Nareen suddenly pop up, putting my screen in a small pyramid of friends.

"Hey guys!" I almost cry, i'm so happy.

"Hey!" They both laugh as they answer at the same time.

"How's home?" I ask, and Matthew smiles.

"Great! Kai has been excelling in all his classes, like usual!" I nod, happy that he brought that up.

"How is he?"

"Shocked, at first. Now, hes working hard so that he can come visit you." Nareen answers.

"I would love for that! And you guys are more than welcome to come visit whenever, I have a huge room!" I slowly pan the phone around, giving them a good look at the room.

"Holy crap! Thats huge!" Matthew gasps.

"Look at mine to!" Rayna pans her phone, and I see she is in a small hut.

"They gave me a HOUSE!" She laughs behind the camera.

I go to say something, when my bedroom door opens.

N walks in, wearing only his pants, and hes poking at a small bruise on his chest.

"Hey, hun, does this look bad to you?" I freeze, as everyone in the chat sees him and he realizes that I'm talking to other people.

"Um... nope! Looks fine!" I kiss him gently, holding the camera so that it's facing the roof.

"I'll come by later." He whispers, winking and kissing me again, before leaving.

"Sorry about that guys-"

"ARE YOU TWO DATING?"

"WAS THAT A SIX-PACK?"

"HE'S SO HOT!"

By the time I finally get them all calmed down enough, Rayna has been called out to a job. It's early morning for her and the others, while its close to midnight here, so we all say our good byes and hang up, with many promises to keep up to date with each other.

"I didn't mean to crash your party." N apologizes for the thousandth time, as we lay on my bed.

"It's okay, I mean, They are the first people I would have told anyways." I laugh.

"So, any plans for tomorrow?" N asks, and I nod.

"I loved the training we did back on 16, and Cleo and Effie have been itching to get out again, so probably head down to Humilau, then over to Route 22." He nods, running his hand lightly over my bare chest.

"I won't be able to come with you, unfortunately. I have business in Virbank, and need to fly out in the morning." He sighs.

"How long will you be gone?" I ask, and he shrugs.

"Could be a couple days, last time it was a couple weeks." I sit up slightly.

"Weeks?" I ask, and he nods.

But instead of answering, he flips on top of me, gently grinding as he pushes his lips against mine. I put one hand on his cheek, and the other on his waist, guiding his body as it glides against mine. He runs a hand through my hair as his tongue entwines with mine, sending shivers of pure ecstasy through me. He reaches down, running his hand along the elastic band of my pajama pants, and my body arches with anticipation. His body feels amazing as it presses against mine, and he moans brokenly as I place run my hand under his pants, gently feeling him along his curves...

I wake up early, but N has already gone. There is a note on my bedside table, and I reach over quickly to read it in the early morning light.

 ** _I'm telling ya, sweet cheeks! We should make it official sooner or later!_**

 ** _Have a great day training, I will try to be back as soon as possible._**

 ** _Talk to you later,_**

 ** _~N_**

I laugh, placing it back down.

Cleo and Effie finally wake up, and we get ready to train.


	10. Chapter 9

"Effie, finish it off with an Ice Fang!"

Effie lunges forward, sinking her ice-coated fangs into the Pelipper, who is weakened by a savage Fury Swipes from Cleo. Effie sinks her fangs right into Pelipper's wing, throwing it to the ground, unconscious.

It's been a few days since N has left, and we have made the most out of it. Effie has grown exponentially stronger, learning Thunder, Fire, and Poison Fang, along with Screech and Swagger. Cleo has also learned her fair share of new moves, including Hone Claws and Assurance.

Today though, there has been a meeting called for after dinner time, regarding a job that is coming up somewhere in the western part of Unova.

I'm going to go.

"Good job girls!" I high five/fin them, before we start our long trek back, managing to take out any stray pokemon that happen to cross our path.

Both Effie and Cleo are strong enough now to take out the wild pokemon in the area with relative ease, so a change of scenery would do us good.

We make it to the car, which is sitting patiently right outside the Route, and it zooms off, whisking us to the castle.

"I heard they are taking us over to Floccesy Ranch, to help with the Mareep and Miltank!" Prim laughs as we enter the dining hall.

"That would be cool! My uncle had an Ampharos, sweetest pokemon you'll ever meet." Sky gushes as we sit at our table.

We don't wait to long before the chefs bring out the food for the night, Chicken Parmesan and stew.

"So, how's N doing?" Cosmo asks nonchalantly as we eat.

"Not sure, haven't heard from him since he left..." I try to make eye contact with Prim, to change the subject, but her face is stuffed in her stew.

"Oh? I thought you two were together?" Sky asks, his face the image of innocence.

Prim almost chokes on her food.

"What?" I ask, floored.

"Yeah, you guys spend a lot of time with each other, and he's always going up to your room." Cosmo states, as if thats enough to render us together.

"We... um... we arent..." I stutter, not prepared for this turn of events, when Prim finally clues in.

"Hey! Leave the poor boy alone!" She squeezes my hand under the table, but Cosmo's face lights up.

"So... your single?" He obviously meant it as a comment, but it came out more like a question.

"Um... Yes...?" My answer comes out like a question as well, but Cosmo winks at me.

"Good." He laughs, and Prim squeezes my hand under the table again.

"So! Enough about his love life, more about this assignment!" Sky interjects, seeing how uncomfortable I am, and I spare him a grateful glance.

"Floccesy Ranch! It's supposed to be beautiful in the fall!" Prim gushes, her eyes lit up.

"Hey, don't you have that show with Elesa coming up soon?" I turn to her, and she nods vigorously.

"I leave sometime in the early early morning, actually! Got the outfit finished, she's going to love it!" Prim laughs.

"Can I come by and see it tonight?" I ask, and she nods again.

"I would love that!" She giggles, and Minerva walks out onto the stage.

"Attention, Team Plasma!" She claps twice, and the room immediately goes silent.

"As most of you have heard, we have an upcoming job over in Floccesy Ranch, by Virbank City-" My eyebrows shoot up, "-and we will need all hands on deck! There are multiple different jobs available in the Ranch, including herding Mareep, milking Miltank, and even feeding the tamed pokemon in the area. If you are interested, please come to the front and sign up with me after dinner. That is all. Enjoy!" She curtsies, then sits on the edge of the stage, chatting with one of the other members.

Me, Cosmo, and Sky all get up, and head over.

I make it there first.

"Ah! How are you doing dear? How goes the training?" She asks, smiling sweetly.

"Amazing! Cleo is almost ready to evolve, I believe, and Effie is getting there!" She laughs happily, clapping in excitement.

"So, you interested in the job?" She asks, suddenly serious.

"Of course. I have hands on experience with Mareep, my cousins having ran a farm out in Johto. And Miltank are sweethearts, if you can get past their tough exterior." Her face lights up again.

"Your perfect! Get packed, we leave tomorrow night!" She signs my name, and puts a star sticker beside it.

Smiling, I walk back to Prim, who has grabbed her purse and is ready to head back to the room

We head back, and Effie, Princess, and Cleo meet us in the commons room with the other pokemon.

"So, I'm sorry for the mess, I've been very busy getting the outfits done." She laughs as we head up.

"Outfits? Plural?" I ask, and she nods.

"I have thirteen finished products, Elesa will pick her favorite out of the bunch." My eyes must go huge, because she laughs and pats my arm as we enter.

"It was nothing, I got it all done last night." She throws her door open, and my jaw drops.

There are ropes and poles hanging from the ceiling, every which way, and each and every one has fabric, scissors, needles and thread, and much more hanging off of it. Prim stealthily makes her way through, as I stumble and knock into things.

"So here are the final choices, but I wont bore you with all of them, just my favorites." She throws open a large closet, which was hidden behind a wall of fabric from the roof, and walks in, me following close behind.

On the far back wall, there is a bunch of blue-themed outfits, all hung up neat and clean, and Prim grabs two to show me.

She holds the first one up.

"I call this one Whirlpool, just a prototype I thought might be cool..." She trails off as I examine the breathtaking view in front of me.

First thing I notice is the long, flowing, dark iridescent fabric, attached at the hips, and flowing with the illusion of waves all the way down to the floor. They are on both sides, and they are attached at the hips of a teal body suit, that has rhinestones and gems sewn across the neckline and hip curves. The neckline plunges down, almost to where Elesa's belly button would be, and the shoulders have wave-themed pieces surging out of them. Also on the hangar, are a pair of knee length-high heeled boots, and a beautiful circlet and necklace, both made out of a greenish material, to resemble sea weed.

"I made the boots from scratch, so they are a little bit iffy, but... what do you think...?" She asks expectantly.

"Why is it called Whirlpool?" I stutter, failing to bring the right words to mind.

"Oh! This is why I love it!" She steps back a bit, holds the dress against her, and twirls.

The wave fabric instantly flies out to its full length, and the spinning motion causes the bottom of it to twirl lower than the hips, making it look like the entire dress is being swallowed by a vortex of dark water. The fabric shimmers in the light as well, as if tiny gems were stuck in the raging whirlpool.

"Holy crap..." I gasp, and she stops, hanging it back up.

"What did you think?" She asks, hands clasped in anticipation.

"I... I cant even... wow. I'm at a loss for words..." I whisper, words failing me.

"Thank you so much! Well, since you liked that one so much..."

She takes me through the rest of the twelve outfits, and each one gets better and better.

There are dresses, skirts and camisoles, bodysuits, even a flashy pair of coveralls, and they are all so beautifully sewn and made, my breath catches with each and every one.

By the time we finally finish, the sun is well down, and it's close to midnight.

"So yeah... but anyways, I have to go catch my plane pretty soon." She smiles as I hug her.

"Elesa is going to be floored by these outfits!" I laugh, and she smiles.

"Thanks, that means a lot. Now, you get to bed! I have to finish packing." I hug her again, then me, Cleo, and Effie head back out and up to our room.

"So! We train tomorrow, then we're off for Floccesy Ranch!" They cheer, and we quickly get into bed, sleeping in no time.

"Watcher, use Tackle!" Cosmo orders, and Watcher flies at the Pelipper quickly, but barely makes a dent in it's health.

"Ugh!" He moans, and I laugh quietly.

Cosmo decided to come train with us today, so we allowed him to tag along.

"Effie, Poison Fang, Cleo, Assist!"

Effie coats her fangs with a deadly toxin, and sinks them into the poor Pelipper's wing, as Cleo launches with a Fire Fang of her own, chomping hard on Pelippers leg, and together they render it unconscious.

Effie lands gracefully, but Cleo lands awkwardly, landing on her back paws, she stumbles around a bit.

Afraid she might have absorbed some of Effie's poison, I run up to her, cradling her slowly.

"Hey baby girl, whats the matter?" I whisper, and she smiles up at me, as her body is covered with a blinding white light.

I step back, and her figure grows behind the light, until shes standing at half my height. The light fades away, and the new and improved Cleo looks around, confused.

"Liepard?" She purrs, her voice smooth and velvety.

"CLEO!" Me and Effie jump onto her, embracing her as she laughs.

Where her beige fur used to be, is now bright, daisy-yellow silky smooth fur, and her purple fur darkened. She also has leapord spots along her body, sporadically placed, and her tail is easily a few feet long, and she flocks it in excitement.

"So Watcher can't even take down a measly Pelipper, but your Purrloin can evolve after one hit?" Cosmo groans, and I see Watcher sulk a bit as well.

"Hey, you stop that! Watcher pulled off an exquisite Tackle, and if it wasn't for him we wouldn't have gotten it down!" I growl, and his eyes shoot up.

"Your right... I'm sorry, Watty, I didnt mean it." He hugs his Patrat close.

"And also, we've been training for almost a full week now, so Cleo has been due for an evolution for a while. Effie isn't too far behind." I explain, and he nods.

"So... could you help us train?" He asks quietly, and I nod.

"Of course, Cosmo. It would be my honor. Lets start basic..."

Watcher is a normal type, and knows the moves Tackle, Leer, Bite, and Detect.

"Okay, so try this; Use Leer to weaken your opponent, then Detect to ward off any incoming attack, then Bite to deal some damage! Then, rinse and repeat until you win!" He nods, and Watcher pulls a local Delibird into battle.

He looks back at me uncertainly, but his eyes harden and a smirk spreads across his face.

"Watty, use Leer!" The battle begins.

"See, I told you you could do it!" I laugh as a tired Watcher hugs Cosmo tightly, proud of their first win.

"You did it!" Cosmo laughs, spinning the Patrat around.

"From now on, Watcher and Effie can spar a bit, help you guys build up your strategy." I suggest, and Cosmo nods.

Cleo rubs against my hand, purring loudly, and pointing at the treeline with her tail.

"Huh? Oh, thats right! I almost forgot!" I laugh, and Cosmo tilts his head in confusion.

"Forgot what?" He inquires.

"There is a forest trail around here, me and Cleo always race to see who can finish first. It loops around, ending in the same spot, but we both go separate ways, although i have a sneaky suspicion i might lose this time..." I shoot her a mock stern face, and she chuckles.

He nods.

"Effie stays here, so feel free to spar while we run." He nods again, and the three of them walk to a nearby clearing.

"Alright Cleo, lets see if you can FINALLY beat me! Three... two... GO!"

By the time I get back around, Cleo is dozing beside Cosmo, back at the clearing.

"Oh... my... god... Cleo..." I gasp, panting hard, and she smirks at me, cleaning her paw.

"You good?" Cosmo jumps up, helping me to the car, so we can head back to the castle.

"I'm... fine... just... ARCEUS!" I pant, trying to catch my breath.

He hands me a bottle of water from who knows where, and I take it gratefully, having forgotten to bring my own.

I chug it quickly, and my breath comes back soon after.

"Thanks, I needed that." I sigh, as we return our pokemon and crawl into the back of the car.

He turns to me suddenly, a weird look in his eyes.

"Do you like me?" He asks, and I sit straight, caught unaware by the question.

"I mean... yeah... your a great guy..." I trail off as he shakes his head, chuckling.

"No, idiot, like, LIKE like me." He laughs.

"I mean... no... yes... oh god, I dont know!" I throw my hands up, and he leans forward, gently caressing my face with his hand, and he kisses me.

I lean into it, wanting it so badly yet despising myself at the same time, and its this conflict of feelings that leads me to pull him on top of me, so hes straddling me. I run a hand down his back, while the other one holds him close by his jaw. He moans softly as I grope his ass, pulling him closer.

"But... what about... N..." He whispers between kisses, and I shake my head.

"N's... not... here..." I moan into his mouth.

It feels like we are just getting started, when the car pulls to a stop in front of the castle.

Sighing, Cosmo gets out first, then me.

Minerva is waiting outside.

"Ah, boys! Just the two I was looking for!" She strides over, smiling.

"Minerva! Hey!" I laugh, hugging her as she approaches.

"I had a question for you!" She smiles at the two of us.

"Shoot!" Cosmo grins wildly, still excited from the car ride.

I shake my head, chuckling.

"I was hoping to have you two and... Skyler, was it? I would like you guys to come up to my designer-y, I have a few designs I would like to try out for tomorrow." She asks, and we both nod.

"Of course! What time would you like us up there?" Cosmo asks, and she smiles even wider.

"Half an hour"? She asks, and we both nod.

"See you soon!" She giggles, hugging us both and taking off.

"We will finish later." He winks at me, brushing my arm as he passes to go inside, and my body yearns for him.

"How do I look?" I spin in a circle, and Effie and Cleo laugh at me.

"It doesn't matter how you LOOK, dear, it matters how you FEEL! Is it comfortable?" She asks, and I nod.

I'm wearing a loose pair of coveralls, that is made out of Galvantula silk, and is quite comfortable. It has the teams insignia on the left breast, and many pockets down the front.

"Good! I'll get the rest done tonight!" She smiles, and me, Cosmo, and Sky take our outfits off, stripping back down to our underwear to get changed.

After we finish, and Cosmo shoots me a devilish grin and a wink, they boys take off, but I stay to ask Minerva a question.

"Hey hun! Thank you so much for helping me out!" She hugs me again, sitting me down.

"Not a problem, but I had a quick question." I start, and she hands me a steaming mug of tea.

"Go ahead, Skiddo." She smiles at a pun I dont quite understand, and I keep going.

"Have we heard anything about Prim yet?" I ask, and she sits up straight.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" She grabs me by the arm, whisking me down corridor after corridor, until we reach a room, with a small T.V in it.

"N doesnt like having televisions in the castle, but I insisted on keeping one!" She flicks it on, and a runway appears on the screen.

"-wearing an outfit by an aspiring new designer, put your hands together for Elesa, the electric beauty!"

Elesa walks out, and I recognize the outfit instantly.

"Whirlpool!" I clap, and Minerva laughs.

Elesa struts out, pausing and posing at the end.

But instead of walking back right away, she twirls in place, and the dress surrounds her in a beautiful vortex.

"Did... did Prim make that?" Minerva gasps, mesmerized by the outfit, and I nod.

"It was her favorite one, a concept she was trying out. And obviously, it paid off!" The crowd goes absolutely nuts, losing their minds as Elesa stops, and struts back down, the fabric at her hips leaving a trail of waves following her.

"That settles it then!" Minerva claps, and I turn to her.

"I offered Primrose a position here, as my apprentice, but she told me she had to politely decline, because she didn't think she was skilled enough. But, as we just witnessed, I couldn't have asked a more skilled girl." I nod.

"She's going to love that." I smile, and she hugs me.

"Alrighty, kiddo, go finish getting packed! Plane leaves in a few hours!" She gently pushes me out, and I enter the hallway, where Cleo and Effie are patiently waiting.

We head up to my room, grab our already-packed bags, and go wait in the courtyard.

Floccesy Ranch, here we come!


	11. Chapter 10

The ranch itself is completely fenced off, and there are hundreds of Mareep grazing in the field, alongside handfuls of Miltank.

Sky takes a huge breath, sighing in pleasure as he exhales.

"Don't you just LOVE the smell of a farm!" He struts off, a huge smile on his face.

Laughing, I take off after him, Cosmo following close behind.

"Hey y'all!" A middle aged man standing with a woman waves us all over.

All together, theres six of us, not including our pokemon.

Effie, Cleo, Watcher, and Sly all run around, playing.

"My names Will, and this here is my wife, Patsy. We will separate you guys into to groups of three, one with me and one with Pat."

Me, Cosmo, and Sky instantly converge into a group, leaving the other three to themselves.

"Awesome! So, you guys-" He points to the other group, "-will be coming with me to milk the Miltank! And you guys go with Patsy, to help herd the Mareep. Our sons will be back from Virbank by tonight, so it won't take very long. Thank y'all for helpin' us out, it sure does mean a lot!" He pats the other group on the back as they head into a nearby barn.

"Hi there! Names Patsy, but you can call me Pat!" She hugs us all, and gives us boots.

"These are my sons, so they should fit y'all... Perfect! Now, do you have pokemon?" She asks, and we all nod, pointing to the tired pile of tuckered out pokemon.

"Well, lets get started!" She laughs, showing us what she wants done.

Sky picks it up in no time at all, making quick work of his group.

I take a bit longer, with Effie too scared to go near the electric types, and Cleo scares them so they wont follow me.

"Come on guys and girls! I promise we'll have fun!" I exclaim in exasperation.

The crowd of grazing Mareep in front of me turns as one, and heads deeper into the field.

"Really?!" I cry out, and Effie giggles from behind me.

I'm watching helplessly as the group waddles off, when, out of the corner of my eye, I see one of the Mareep, a smaller one, dart off into the nearby forest through a broken patch of fence.

"Hey!" I shout, running after it, but Pat grabs my arm.

"Thats Belle, a little trouble maker she is. She'll come back."

"Aren't you worried she will get hurt?" I ask, and she shrugs.

"No one here has ever followed her, so we have no idea where she goes. She always comes back, though."

I gently shake her arm off.

"Sky, can you finish this group for me? I'm going to check on a Mareep!" He nods, smiling brightly as he turns his attention to my group.

"Effie, you stay here with Watcher, Cleo, you come with me." Effie nods, heading over to where Watcher is hiding behind Cosmo, terrified of the electric types as well.

Cleo bounds over, landing gracefully beside me as I head into the dark forest.

Cleo picks up Belle's scent quickly, and leads us through the foliage. We duck under branches, jump over rocks, and even cross a small stream at one point.

Cleo leads us around a large tree trunk, before I notice a small hole in the side.

"Cleo, wait a sec..." I stick my head in slowly...

And see Belle, curled up around something small and white...

An egg?

Belle looks up, and instantly flies to her feet, electricity running through her conductive wool as she charges an attack.

"Wait, Belle!" At the sound of her name, she calms, but only a bit.

She sits back down with the egg, but refuses to look away.

"Reep." She huffs, sending a harmless, yet scary, bolt of electricity at me.

"Is that egg yours?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"Who's is it?" I ask, knowing I wont get the answer.

"Maaaaa." She baa's, shaking her head.

"Well, why dont we take it back to the house and-" I'm cut off as another bolt of electricity flies by my head.

"Hey! They will be able to help you hatch it!" I say, and her eyes light up.

"Reep? Maaaa?" She asks, and I nod.

"Yes, hatch it! They will be able to give it the proper care, and hatch it!" She stands slowly, still distrusting me, and gently picks the egg up in her mouth.

She is about to exit, when Cleo growls behind me.

"What Cleo?" I lean back out, and see what she was growling at.

There is a large bird pokemon, slowly strutting across the forest floor, and it's staring right at us.

"Fez..." It growls.

"Is this your egg?" I ask, throwing my hands up, but it shakes its head.

"Un, Fezant." It points into the tree... directly at Belle.

"You want... Belle?" I ask, and it nods, licking its beak and chirping.

"No."

It turns its head to look at me, eyes wide.

"Fez!" It growls, opening its wings, but I step in front of the tree hole.

"You can NOT have her!" I growl back, and the bird attacks.

"CLEO!" I shout, throwing my body into the hole to seal it.

Cleo launches, and throws the approaching bird pokemon into a nearby tree.

"Cleo, use Fury Swipes!" I shout, and Cleo attacks.

She lands on one of the bird's wings, and savagely tears into its face and beak, causing bloody red lines to appear everywhere.

"FEZ!" It growls, throwing up a Wing Attack that throws Cleo into the foliage behind it.

"MRROOooowww..." Cleo's voice trails off as she flies back.

The bird stands, shaking itself off, before turning to me again.

It smiles, winking as it launches forward.

"NO!" I throw my hands up to protect myself, but a dark blur flies in from behind me, slamming the bird back again.

"CAR!" Effie screams, tearing a mouthful of feathers out of the birds wing.

"EFFIE! ICE FANG!"

Effie coats her fangs with a layer of dense ice, and deposits them into the birds neck.

The bird tries to throw her off, but she latches on harder, and finally, the bird takes off, flying straight up through the foliage into the sky.

"EFFIE!" I scream, watching as the bird tries to throw her off.

Cleo suddenly appears, and leaps from the ground to a nearby branch, then straight up, her back muscles tensing as she bounds.

She almost makes it to Effie and the bird, before falling back into a tree.

Finally, the bird manages to shake Effie off, and she soon plummets to the earth.

"NOOOOOO!" I run.

I run to the spot where she will hit, and I throw my hands out, but she never hits.

I watch, as her body is enveloped in a bright white light, and her form changes.

Soon, the light fades, and Effie's new form emerges.

"SHAR!" She growls, turning mid-air and using Aqua Jet to shoot back up to where the terrified bird is now trying to escape.

She slams the bird from above, sending its unconscious body crashing into the trees below, before she makes her way back, landing gently beside me.

"EFFIE?!" I cry, holding her tight as she cries into my shoulder.

Cleo gingerly steps up, limping slightly from the fall.

"You guys!" I hug them both.

"That... was... amazing..." A voice gasps from behind, and I whip around.

Patsy is standing beside the tree, two young men beside her, and all of their eyes are wide as saucers.

"And then he was like "NO!", and Effie EVOLVED, RIGHT THERE!" The youngest son gasps, as if seeing it again.

"Well, aint that special?" Will laughs, shaking our hands.

"Thank y'all again for coming out, we really appreciate it." Patsy smiles, and hugs us all.

"It's not a problem! Thanks for having us!" I laugh, shaking the kids hands.

We all wave as we get into the plane, but I see Belle and the egg, in the house window, and she looks sad to see us go.

"Sooooo? How was it?" Prim asks as we get out of the plane, and into the courtyard.

"Well, Effie evolved!" I release her, and Prim startles at the size of her.

"Oh, WOW!" She hugs Effie, giggling as Effie kisses her cheek.

Cleo limps out as I release her, and Prim is instantly by her side.

"What happened?"

"There was a fight..." I explain what happened, and her eyes go sad.

"I'm sorry guys..." I hug her and laugh.

"It's not your fault! Hey! I saw what outfit Elesa picked! Congrats, it looked amazing!" Her eyes light up again at the mention of her outfits.

"Elesa asked me to join her design team, permanently!" She gushes, and I clap in excitement.

"Prim, thats amazing!"

"And thats not all, shes sending some of the team here so I can continue to work as a member of Team Plasma!" She squeals as Sky hugs her to.

"Thats amazing hun!" Sky laughs as Cosmo stumbles out of the plane.

"Well, it was an eleven hour flight, and I'm pooped!" I exclaim, and my pokemon nod vigorously.

"Okay, we will all meet up for breakfast tomorrow? They are having a meeting about a huge mission coming up!" Prim asks, and we all nod, and make plans to meet in the morning.

I head back to my room, both pokemon in tow, and I notice that my door is open a crack. I know for a fact that I remembered to close it, cause I stubbed my heel on it the day before.

"Effie, get ready with an Ice Fang..." I hiss, and she nods, growling lowly.

I fling the door open, and Effie darts in...

And sitting on my bed is...


	12. Chapter 11

"Rayna?!" I laugh as she flings herself into me.

"BABE!" She cries, squeezing me in a bear hug.

"How- What- huh?" I ask, and she laughs, sitting back down on the bed with me.

She is wearing a loose fitting pair of bell bottoms, with the Team Skull insignia on the back pocket, and a short pink crop top. Her hair is up in a ponytail, but a few loose strands manage to frame her face in auburn.

"They sent us here for a mission, all of the teams are meeting here! Well, the recruits, anyways." She explains, and I nod.

"So... Matt and Nareen?" I ask, and she smiles.

"Nareen is already here, we arrived together, but Matt wont be in till tomorrow morning, they will just make it for the meeting." I nod.

"So, how's Alola?!" I ask, and she squeals, as she releases three pokemon.

The first one I recognize as her starter, but its bigger now, with a larger beak.

The second one looks like a Rattata, but it has a mustache of fur, and is almost black in color.

And the third one is a little pink berry pokemon, and it toddles along on two feet.

"Meet Pikki, Suave, and Berri!" She giggles, and I hug them all.

"Well, you already know Effie, and this is Cleo!" I gesture to them, and Rayna gasps.

"Hey sweethearts!" She squeals, hugging them both. Cleo licks her cheek, before heading to their corner to meet the other pokemon.

"So, nice place you got here..." She laughs, looking around.

I go to reply, but there is a knock on the door.

"One sec..." I throw my jacket onto a table nearby, and open the door.

"Hey!" Prim smiles, holding out a decent sized box.

"Hey Prim! Come on in!" She steps around me, smiling.

I close the door behind her, but she's already running over to Rayna.

"You are SO GORGEOUS! What colour's do you like? I bet you could SLAY bell bottoms!" She's gushing, and Rayna's laughing.

"Rayna, meet Prim. Prim's an amazing designer, and can make the most AMAZING outfits from out of thin air. Prim, this is my friend Rayna, we've known each other for years." I introduce them, and they hug.

"Oh! I have something that you would look amazing in! If its okay, would you consider wearing it to the dinner tonight?" Prim stands.

"Of course! Want me to come with you?" Prim shakes her head.

"I'll bring it up! Be right back!" She darts out the door, giggling in excitement.

"Shes... different." She laughs, and I laugh to.

"Her work is amazing, shes actually just been accepted on to the designing team for Elesa." Her eyes go wide.

"I just watched her runway the other day, on the first plane ride!" She gasps.

"That outfit with the shimmering fabric she wore? Prim made that, and twelve others." Her eyebrows shoot up.

"Thats amazing! I loved that dress!" I laugh.

Prim arrives a few moments later, and they head into my dressing room.

I go and sit by Effie and Prim, bu as I sit there is another knock at my door.

"Really?" I sigh, laughing to myself as I throw the door open.

"Well hey there!" Patsy smiles, laughing.

"Mrs. Patsy! Hello!" I laugh, hugging her and leading her in.

"I apologize for just stoppin' in like this, you know." She says, and I shake my head.

"Oh, no problem! Is everything alright?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"Little Belle... She..." She stutters, and I gently rub her arm.

"Is she alright?" I ask, and Patsy shakes her head.

"Shes been... weird. She won't let anyone near her, or the egg, since y'all left." She says, and I nod.

"I'll come back with you, to the farm. See if I can help." Patsy shakes her head again.

"We have her here, flew all night. Shes a bit huffed up since we had to sedate her, but we would love for you to come down and see her." I nod.

"I have a couple girls getting changed, I'm just going to let them know where I'll be, then I will meet you down in the commons room." She nods, turning and heading back downstairs.

"Rayna! Prim! I will be right back!" I call into the dressing room.

"Okay!" Rayna strains back, and I can hear a zipper being zipped up.

Laughing to myself, I head downstairs.

"You be careful, ya hear? She's been quite volatile towards us." Will pats my arm, and I head in.

Effie and Cleo sit outside the plane, huffing cause I wouldn't let them come.

"Belle?" I call softly, slowly entering the back of the plane, and a soft growling answers me.

I see her finally, stuck in a cage with the egg.

Shes pressed against the back of the cage, her fleece glowing with electricity, and the sound of crackling fills the air.

She sends a warning bolt of lightning, which catches me across the abdomen, tearing through my shirt and burning my skin.

Her eyes light up as she recognizes me, and she carefully sets the egg down on a blanket, and trots over to me.

"Reep!" She smiles, as I gently place my hand on her head, the other one holding my burnt side.

"Hey sweetheart. Are you okay?" I ask, getting right to the point, and she shakes her head.

"Baaaaa." She moans, and I nod.

"Okay, hun. Is there anything I can do to help?" She nods vigorously, pointing to the egg with her tail, then gesturing to herself.

"You want... to come with me?" I confirm, and she nods again, smiling.

"Well... I can ask?" It's more of a question than a statement, but she giggles happily anyways.

I gently pet her ears again, and stand up.

"I will be right back, don't hurt anyone." She nods, trotting back to the egg, and curling around it.

I head out the back of the plane, and Will and Patsy are instantly on me.

"What happened to your shirt? Are you okay darling?" She asks, and I nod, smiling through the pain, which has now sky rocketed.

"I'm fine, barely grazed me. But, I talked to her..." I starts, and Will places his hand on my shoulder.

"Go on, son. We need to know." I nod.

"She want's to come with me." I finish, and they both nod, as if expecting this.

"We figured so. And, if you would take her, we would be honored to gift her to you." Patsy says softly.

"Really? You guys would do that for me?" I ask, tears welling in my eyes due to both pain and amazement.

"Of course! Our little Belle is an adventurer at heart, and would benefit greatly from traveling with someone as kind as you." Will says, patting my back.

"You guys..." I sniffle, and Patsy lightly smacks my arm.

"Don't you be going all mushy on us here!" She laughs, but I can see this is a lot harder for her than it is for me.

"Do you have a pokeball on you or do you need one?" Will asks, and I point to my belt, where four empty pokeballs sit next to Effies and Cleos.

He nods, and hands me a key.

"To the cage, it breaks our hearts to see her in there." He says, voice breaking.

I take it, hugging both of them quickly, before heading back in.

I round the corner, and see something completely unexpected.

Belle is standing with her back to me, watching the egg, which is shaking gently.

"Belle!" I gasp, quickly unlocking the door and hugging her.

She giggles, as I grab the egg gently, swaddling it in the blanket from before, and darting outside, Belle on my tail.

"It's hatching!" I gasp, and I realize that here is blood coming from my stomach, where Belle had struck before, and I'm losing feeling in my legs.

I fall the last few steps out of the plane, and twist so that the egg doesnt hit the ground, but in doing so, I knock the air out of myself, and the egg rolls gently to a stop as Patsy grabs it.

"This man needs a doctor!" Will calls, picking me up, and rushing me inside.

I realize that my entire body is now tingling, and I can't move anything, or even talk.

I try to ask them whats wrong with me, but all that comes out is a garbled mess.

"Don't try to talk, honey! You've been Paralyzed!" Patsy pushes people out of the way as someone leads us to the infirmary.

I flick my eyes over to where she is, holding the egg.

"Don't you worry your pretty little had over this, sweetheart! If anyone knows how to hatch an egg properly, it's going to be a rancher!" She bends down, kissing my head gently and winking as she is taken away by a nurse, and me and Will are lead to another room.

I notice Belle stop by the door, looking fearfully between the door and me.

I moan at will, gesturing to her, and nod my head.

"You follow that egg, miss Belle! I got your trainer here, I'll make sure he's safe!" She nods, pushing the door ajar with her head and going in.

Will is taken to an exam room, where I am placed on a table, and multiple nurses and doctors look me over.

They cut my shirt off, and I moan, this was one Prim made me, and I quite liked it.

They throw it to the side, and gasp as they see my wound. I can't move, so I can't turn my head to look at it, but the tingling sensation is now replaced by flaring pain, and I scream.

A mask is placed over me face, and soon, everything fades to black as I pass out.

The first thing I notice before I open my eyes, is that I can hear N's voice in the hallway, I would know his voice anywhere.

The second voice I notice sounds like Rayna, or Nareen.

"Uhhhh..." I moan quietly as I gently sit up, and I open my eyes to see that Belle is curled up, sleeping, between my legs, and there is a small bundle of blankets that she is curled around.

Belle opens her eyes, and instantly jumps onto my chest, licking my face in excitement.

"Mar! Baaa! Reep!" She chatters away, gently picking the bundle up in her mouth, and placing it in my arms.

I gently open the bundle, to see a small brown figure, with a large pink nose and two eyes covered by hair.

"Swi." It giggles, licking my finger as I play with it.

"Your up!" Nareen flies into the room, Rayna and Prim behind her.

"Hey!" I kiss her cheek, hugging her gently.

"I can't even leave for a few days without you going and hurting yourself." N laughs gently as he walks in, but I see Belle recoil at the comment, her eyes downcast.

"Hey, it was an accident. Belle didn't mean to, she was just protecting the egg." I point out, and she sighs, licking my hand.

"Well, that egg is a beautiful baby Swinub now, so I guess it worked out." He laughs, sitting beside me on the edge of the bed, and gently stroking my leg.

"How are you feeling?" Rayna asks, and Prim nods, handing me a bottle of water and gently taking Swinub.

Belle growls, but I pet her ears gently.

"She's a friend, they all are. They will take good care of..." I trail off, and Prim finishes for me.

"Him. It's a boy." I smile, nodding my thanks as she leaves the room.

"Your a mom now, Belle!" Her eyes light up again, and I kiss her forehead.

"And, other than a bit sore, I'm doing great." I turn to Rayna, who sighs in relief.

"Thats good, the meeting is tonight." Nareen points out, but N shakes his head.

"He's been exempted, due to injuries. He doesn't have to go anymore." But now it's my turn to shake my head.

"I'm going. I am NOT going to let this... bump in the road... stop me from attending." N shakes his head, chuckling.

"Well, I wont be the one to stop you. Also, your parents are coming." He laughs as my eyes fly open.

"What? When? Why?" I ask, and Rayna giggles.

"I had to tell them about what happened, hun. I couldn't let them go without knowing, and they were plannign a surprise visit anyways, so they will be here tomorrow." She laughs at my recoil.

"Oh god, this is going to turn into a 'you should have stayed home, I can't believe you would do this.' blah blah blah speech." I groan, and they all laugh.

"Well, if your feeling up to it, lets get you back to your room. Effie and Cleo are going nuts to see you." N helps me up, and we start towards my room.

Prim is sitting on my bed, gently petting Swinub, and Belle jumps up beside her instantly.

Effie and Cleo bound over to the door as we arrive, and start kissing and jostling me.

"Hey girls! I'm sorry!" I laugh as Effie jumps, kissing my cheek.

"Well, we will let you rest up for tonight, you still have a few hours. In the meantime, think of a name for your new baby, mister Daddy!" Prim laughs at my expression to the nickname, and they all head out, except for N.

"I missed you." He whispers after a while, as we both sit on the bed.

Swinub and Belle are playing around, running and jumping and shooting harmless attacks at each other, and Effie and Cleo are behind us, on the bed, not wanting to leave my side again.

"I missed you to. Truth be told, I only went to the ranch because I hoped I would see you there." I confess, and he laughs.

"Speaking of the Ranch, Will and Patsy say thank you, and they are extremely sorry for having to leave on such short notice." He kisses my cheek, standing up.

"Now, rest up! This meeting is going to be huge, and we need you looking your best." He laughs at my confused expression, and kisses me softly, before leaving.

I lean back, onto Cleo's stomach, and she purrs, licking my hair.

"Names for Swinub..." I think, and it hits me.

"Aha! I got it!" I sit up, pointing at the little ice type.

"Your new name is Aspen!" I laugh as he jumps into my lap, nodding and licking my face, before jumping off to play with his mom again.

I lean back onto Cleo, and smile.

No matter what tonights meeting is about, I'm going to present my best self.

After a few more minutes of Cleo licking my hair, and Effie nibbling on my fingers, I get up, and start getting ready.


	13. Chapter 12

I enter the ball-room, and see Matthew, Rayna, and Nareen all standing by a beverage table.

Rayna is wearing an exquisite dress, with a leather bodice and the bottom is form-fitting, and mermaid style. The color scheme is exotic, with white, pinks, and even black, but she looks amazing. Her hair is curled, and it falls beautifully around her face, framing her perfectly. On her shoulder is Pikki.

Nareen is wearing a simple, yet stunning, dress, that reminds me of a sun-dress. It flows with the currents in the room, and fits her body perfectly. Sitting beside her is a Machop, whom I don't recognize.

Matthew is wearing a bright red tuxedo, with a bright yellow tie, and there is a large yellow pokemon standing beside him, as he gently strokes its head as he talks.

To help keep the space not so populated, all trainers were allowed to pick one pokemon to accompany them, so Effie swims lazily beside me, eyes scanning for potential threats.

"Matt!" I laugh as he sees me, and we embrace.

"Man, is it good to see you!" He laughs, patting my shoulder.

"So, how's the working life?" I joke, and we all laugh.

"Good, so far! Haven't gotten to go on any missions yet, but it will all come in good time." He laughs, then notices Effie.

"Hey baby girl!" He laughs, hugging the ecstatic shark pokemon.

"You look amazing! Have you lost weight?" He jokes, kissing her forehead, and she giggles as she swims back my side.

"This is Ruption, my starter! He's a Numel." He gestures to the yellow camel pokemon beside him, and it bows.

I bow as well, and Effie tries, but topples over, laughing.

"And this is Martin, my Machop!" Nareen presents the pokemon, who struts up and shakes my hand, and bows to Effie.

"And you already know Pikki!" Rayna laughs, petting the birds beak.

"Well, we are all here, so lets grab a table!" Matt suggests, and we grab a table not to far back from the stage.

As we sit, I see Prim, Cosmo, and Sky looking around for a table as well, and I wave them over.

I introduce everyone, and we sit down, starting conversations as we wait for the meeting to start.

"So, how do you like the dress?" Prim asks Rayna, and she grabs Prim's hand.

"I ADORE it! It's comfortable, but looks amazing!" She gushes, and Prims eyes light up.

"So your from Sinnoh, huh?" Matt asks Cosmo, and he nods.

"Sick! I'm from Kanto, not nearly as exciting." He laughs, and Cosmo laughs to, sipping from a glass.

I stand up, going to get a drink, and Nareen comes with me.

"This is very... social." She says as we head over, and I can't help but laugh.

"That it is, Nar. So, how's it going?" I ask, and her eyes light up.

"Well, they have me stationed in Johto for my training, but I get to stay in Kanto once I'm done there!" She smiles.

"Thats amazing!"

"Now, I have a question for you, and I need you to answer me honestly." She stops as we reach the table, and she turns to me.

"Of course, Nar. Whats up?" I ask, concerned.

"Are you and that cute boy with the green hair dating?" She asks quietly, and I nod after a moments hesitation.

"But its not so I can-!" I start, but she blows me off.

"He's sweet. He cancelled his entire trip to come make sure you were okay. Hes a good guy." She smiles, grabbing a drink.

I go to reply, but a small boy grabs her arm, and gestures for her to follow.

"Manuel, slow down! I'll meet you back at the table!" She laughs as the boy drags her away, Martin following as he shakes his head.

Chuckling, I grab a drink, and scan the room.

I notice Shelley, in a gorgeous blue dress that barely grazes the floor, and I head over to her, Effie following close.

"Shelley!" I call, and her eyes light up as she hugs me tightly.

"Hey there, hot stuff! Damn, you look good in that tux!" I laugh, brushing her compliment off as she bends down to kiss Effie.

"I told you he was a great trainer!" She says, barely audible but I catch it, and Effie nods.

She stands back up, smiling.

"I wish I could stay and chat, hun, but I have to run off to the team heads table, discuss whats happening tonight! But I'm in town for a few days, so come find me when you have the chance!"

"I will! It was good to see you!" I smile, kissing her cheek as she winks and struts off, her high heels clicking on the tiled floor.

I look around again, but there is a loud clinking noise as everyone picks up their glasses and taps them with their spoons.

I quickly head back to our table, and arrive just as Nareen does.

"Thank you all so much for traveling to be here tonight!" N struts across the stage, smiling brightly and waving to people as he does.

"I hope the castle is to your liking?" He ends in a question, and the room goes wild.

"Thats good! Now, I'm sure you are all wondering what this meeting is about, so lets not beat around the Grotle here, and get straight to it, shall we?" Everyone claps again.

"So, as most of you know, the annual TeamRace is fast approaching..." He starts, and the entire mood of the room changes, everyone now exchanging excited whispers with their partners and table-mates.

The TeamRace is a huge deal, with each team sending three contestants to battle, adventure, and figure out puzzles in a huge maze, located on an island in Alola. The winners of the race are promoted to Executives of their respective teams, no matter how long they have been with them. The maze itself is gigantic, and all the teams are pitted against each other till the last team stands, or the final three, depending on what happens first. There are wild pokemon, traps, and even puzzles that you have to get through, PLUS the other teams.

"With that, it is time for us to select our participants. Over the next couple of day's, we will be taking assigned groups out, to test them, until we have our final twenty-one! There will be sign up sheets in the cafeteria in the morning, so please sign up!" He finishes in a flourish, holding his drink up, and we all go wild.

"Now, since the announcement is over with, LETS EAT!" N shouts the last part as the room is now clapping as chefs bring plates of food out.

After, everyone heads to bed, with promises to meet up again in the morning for coffee, like old times, and go to sleep.

I go into my room, and find Aspen, Cleo, and Belle all curled up in my bed, sleeping soundly. Effie gently joins the group, falling asleep quickly.

I run myself a steaming bath, and moan in pleasure as I sink into it, even though my wound is now uncovered.

I hear my door open, and N walks in.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" He goes to turn around, but I stop him.

"What? It's not like we haven't seen each other naked before!" I laugh, and he chuckles, sitting beside the tub.

"So... Are you going to sign up?" He asks, and I nod.

"I think so. It would be an amazing experience, but I would have to get through the test first." He nods.

"A little hint for the test, make sure to have Effie with you for the first one." He says softly, as if someone else can hear us, and I nod.

"Swimming?" I ask, and he nods.

"She is allowed to help you, so keep that in mind. How's the burn?" He asks, putting his hand under the water to lightly touch it.

"Sore, but otherwise fine." I sit up, kissing him, and as I move, his hand slides below my waist.

"Are you sure?" He whispers between kisses, and I nod, hard.

Chuckling, he takes his clothes off quickly, hopping in, on top of me.

I wake in the morning, next to all my pokemon, but N is no longer here.

Yawning, I check my phone.

4am, on the dot.

I smile, sitting up.

My pokemon are still asleep, but wake up quickly as I rouse them.

"Going for my run! Anyone interested?" Effie and Aspen shake their heads, growling as they tuck back in, but Belle and Cleo nod, stretching as they wake up.

I get changed into some shorts, and decide not to wear a shirt, as the morning sun is already breaking over the mountains, an it's quite warm out.

We head out.

Belle is a lot faster than I first thought, keeping pace with Cleo, much to her surprise.

They cap their distance between us at roughly a few yards, and we fall into a rhythm.

We are just finishing our third lap, when a car pulls up, from the front gates.

It stops by the doors, and the driver gets out, and grabs something out of the trunk of the car.

A... wheelchair?

I'm sprinting for the car before he even sets it down, as I recognize the decals on the handles of the chair.

Kai lifts himself out of the car, and into the wheel chair, and barely turns around as I fly into him, hugging him tightly.

"Hey bro!" He laughs, as happy tears stream down my face.

"Kai! Hows it going?" I sniffle, overcome with delight.

Mom and Dad get out of the other side of the car, and run over to see me.

"Baby!" Mom's crying now to, and Dad looks close.

"Mom! Dad!" I cry, hugging them both.

After our tearful reunion, I realize I'm not wearing a shirt, and quickly lead my family up to my room.

Kai looks at the stairs fearfully, but I carry him and Dad grabs his chair.

"This castle is so BEAUTIFUL!" Mom gasps, running her hand along one of the many branches that sticks out into the stair well. The stained glass windows cast a stunning blue light over the entire stair well, and making the tree look ethereal with its hues of green and blue.

I open the door to my room, and Belle and Cleo quickly wake Effie and Aspen, letting them know to introduce themselves.

"Alrighty, quick introductions! Family, this is Cleo, Belle, Aspen, and you already know Effie!" I point to each of them respectively, and they bow.

"And guys, this is Mom, Dad, and Kai." They all smile and wave.

"So, mom and dad, you will be taking this room-" I gesture to the large room, and their eyes go wide, "-and me and Kai will take the dressing room. Trust me, it's more than big enough." I laugh at their expressions.

"Are you sure baby? Who's room is this?" Mom asks as she pets a very excited Aspen.

"This is my room, but I don't min-"

"This is YOUR room? When can I join?" Kai gasps, and I laugh.

"Balcony is over there, bathroom is there! I will get a bed made up for me and Kai, so you two take the master." They nod, dropping their bags off, and exploring.

"If there is an emergency, there is a tunnel over here..." I point out the escape tunnel in the closet, and they gasp.

"Its a slide, it's pretty cool." I hear a voice behind us, and turn around quickly to see N.

"Oh! Guys, meet N! He's the head of operations and founder of team Plasma, and also... my boyfriend." His eyes go wide, as does my parents.

"Nice to meet you!" Kai recovers first, shaking N's hand.

"And you...?" He ends with a question, and I start, forgetting to introduce them to N.

"Oh! Thats Kai, my BABY brother, and my mom and dad!" I laugh as Kai hisses at the term baby.

"Hello! This is a wonderful... castle you have!" My mom hugs him, and he laughs, thanking her.

"Nice to meet you, N." Dad says gruffly, shaking his hand, and I laugh.

"He's fine, dad." I laugh as his expression softens a bit, but he still keeps an eye on N as he steps back to stand beside mom.

"Well, I am honored to have you here. I will show you to some rooms..." N steps back, but I stop him.

"Thats okay, they can stay in here! I just need a couple beds in the back dressing room for me and Kai." N nods.

"I'll have some sent right up. Don't forget to sign up, sheets go down at nine." He walks forward, quickly kissing my cheek, before waving to my family and departing.

My family goes in on me the second the door closes.

"He seems nice!"

"Is his hair GREEN?"

"Whens breakfast?"

I meet up with Nareen, Rayna, and Matthew at the agreed time, and we grab our coffees and head out the back.

We pick a dainty little picnic table, set just off the beach.

"So, you guys signing up? I signed up this morning." I ask, and they all nod.

"Can we make a pact now? If any of us get picked to go, we team up? It would kill me to fight against you guys in there." Nareen asks, and we all nod without a moments hesitation.

"Agreed. We fight together, or not at all." Matthew says, and we put our hands in the middle.

I go to ask when the results are announced, when there is a loud clanging from the castle.

"Thats the breakfast bell! They are going to announce the first group!" Rayna gasps, and we run to the dining hall.


	14. Chapter 13

"We have gone over the sign-up sheets for each team, and come up with four teams of ten for the tests." N starts, walking across the stage with a small bundle of papers in his hand.

"You will be contacted directly when you are required to go for your test, and you are forbidden from discussing the contents of said test with any other contestants. Now, you are all dismissed." He smiles, waving at us all, and walks off the stage.

We head back to our rooms to await the first group.

I barely make it to my door when N flies up the stairs behind me.

"Babe! You are in the first group!" He laughs, kissing me.

"Awesome! So, what is it?" I ask, and he smiles, shaking his head.

"All I can say is bring swim trunks, and a pokemon. Any pokemon will do." He says it like a robot, as if he had rehearsed it, but I recognized the hint instantly.

SWIM trunks. That would be the only hint the test-goers are given.

He winks, kisses me again, then slides down the rail back down to the commons room.

I open the door, and Mom is standing on the balcony, sipping from her coffee.

"Hey baby!" She hugs me as I approach, and I see Cleo laying across her feet, enjoying the sun. The sky is completely cloudless today, leaving the entire sky open for the sun to conquer. It sends lazy yellow streaks in every direction, and warms my skin as I head onto the balcony.

"I see you and Cleo are getting along?" I laugh as Cleo gently whips my leg with her tail.

"She's a sweetheart, this girl. And shes so gorgeous..." She strokes Cleo's ears, as she purrs.

"I'm sorry you guys had to fly all the way out here, mom. I really am. What happened was an accident." I start, but she waves me off.

"I'm not sorry we came! We are having a blast! And, its so beautiful here. You know, we are very proud of you." I take a step back, not expecting that.

"What? You are?" I ask, sitting beside her on the bench, and she pulls me into a hug.

"Of course we are! You moved REGIONS, hun. Thats not an easy task in itself, but then you started work right after? Thats amazing. We couldn't be prouder. And your boyfriend, N, is a sweetheart. He seems like a really good man." She says, and tears well up in my eyes.

"Thank you, mom. That means a lot." I hug her, and I hear the door open behind us.

"That must be Kai and your dad! They took Missy out to explore the courtyard." Mom says, and I stand.

"Missy's here to?" I ask, and she laughs, gesturing to the room.

I run in, and Kai is just getting off of Missy's back, where he rides when they go out.

The second he's off her back, she instantly bounds over, meowing and crying as she tackles me down and licks my face.

"Hey girl! How's my baby?" I kiss her over and over, until she finally stops crying, and gets up so I can get up to.

"Mrrooooow." She purrs, rubbing against my side.

I kiss her head again, and she toddles off to the corner where Effie, Belle, Aspen, and now Cleo, are sitting.

She plops down, and they start chatting like old friends.

"Well, I'm glad she's made herself at home!" Mom laughs.

"How are you guys? Find everything okay?" I ask dad and Kai, who look at each other and laugh.

"We got lost, and this little foreign lady named... Me... Meh-something or other..." Kai trails off, but I laugh.

"Medoa. She's a good friend of N's." I explain, and they nod.

"Her! Yeah, she helped us to the kitchens, then to the courtyard. Barely understood her, though." Dad finishes, and I laugh again.

I go to say something, but I'm interrupted by a knock on the door.

I open it, and see Rayna, clad in a bikini and skirt, her dark red hair tied in a ponytail behind her. Berri is standing beside her as well.

"Ready, babe?" She laughs, then her eyes go wide as she sees my family.

"Hey guys!" She runs in, hugging everyone, and Berri bows in turn.

I run into the dressing room, and notice that there is already two beds set up, and all of my clothes have been arranged in such a fashion that it acts as a curtain between them.

I throw on a pair of swimming trunks, and head back out.

"Whats happening?" Mom asks, and Rayna fills her in.

"Can we come watch?" Kai asks, and I nod.

He mounts Missy again, and I summon Effie to my side.

"Your my rock in this challenge, okay?" I kiss her forehead, and she growls determinedly.

We head out.

The beach is filled with people, all wearing sun dresses and shorts, and shielding their eyes from the bright, morning sun.

It's quite warm out, even though its close to winter, and I notice that the wild pokemon of the area are out to observe as well.

Out in the ocean, there are hundreds of marker floating, looking to be made of ice. They bob passively, but mark out a huge track. The track itself goes in a large circle, with a island in the middle, and I can just make out tiny ant people on the island, and what looks to be pokemon.

Me and Rayna wave to my family as we head onto the beach, where our other fellow contestants, five of them, are limbering up.

A taller girl walks over to us, hugging Rayna.

"Hey guys, you need to register your pokemon with Marlon over there." She points.

"Thanks Deanna!" Rayna hugs her again, and we head over.

We walk up, and Marlon winks at Rayna.

"Well hello there, beautiful! How's it going?" He flashes a smile that makes me weak in the knees, but Rayna just flicks her hair over her shoulder with a smile.

"Trying to get set up for the test." She says, playing with her hair.

"Well, is that the little cutie that will be participating?" He asks, leaning against the tree and smiling.

"No, I'll be using a friends pokemon, if thats okay?" She bats her eye lashes, and his smile widens.

"Nothing in the rules against it! What pokemon where you planing on using?" He winks, and she takes a pokeball from her skirt, releasing a pokemon.

It lands with a heavy thud, its long blue hair billowing in the breeze.

"Waaaaaa!" It sings, it's haunting voice turning heads all the way down the beach.

"Her name is Aria, and she is a Primarina." She smiles, as Marlon's face goes white.

"Oh wow! Um... okay... your good t-to go!" He stutters, as Berri toddles off to my family, and Rayna and Aria head into the beach again.

"And I'll be using miss Effie, my Sharpedo." I stroke her fin, and he smiles.

"I knew you could evolve her. You should be proud." He nods, gesturing to where N is standing on a raised platform of sand, being held up by an Alakazam.

"Alright everyone! Rules are simple! Make it around the track the quickest for a chance to participate in the main event. Oh, and you have to battle at least one trainer on the island, but the more you defeat the better marks you'll get. The fastest time doesnt necessarily mean you win! And all the trainers on the island are limited to three battles a piece!" At that, all seven of us contestants look around uneasily.

That means the fastest person could potentially get as many battles as they need to win, depending on how fast they can swim. I look at Effie, whos grinning in delight. Sharpedo are known for their speed in water.

I sigh in relief.

"Now, please come to the starting line here, and go when you hear the gong!" We all line up, ready to run.

"You go in first, I'll launch onto your fin, okay?" I whisper, and she nods, her fangs glowing in the sunlight as she grins.

The beach goes silent as we wait for our signal, and as a last minute idea, I take my shirt off and throw it behind me.

BOOOOOOOOOOOONG!

We're off!


	15. Chapter 14

Effie quickly hops into the water, and I jump onto her back, gripping her fin tightly as she takes off.

She starts out so fast that I almost lose my grip, and slip off my feet so i'm sitting on her back now, but she growls happily and goes faster.

I take a peek behind me, and see Rayna pulling ahead of the group that has barely left the beach. Her Primarina, Aria, slides into the water gracefully, and she hops onto its back, and they take off as well.

I turn back around, and see that we are already halfway to the island!

I give a whoop, but I'm quickly silenced as something jumps out of the water ahead of us.

"FRILL!" It screams, sending an IceBeam at us.

It barely misses me, as Effie effortlessly dodges, but I hear a yelp behind us, and the sound of a body splashing into the water. I pray it wasn't Rayna, until I hear her voice behind me.

"Slow down! I have an idea!" She pulls up beside us as Effie slows, and Rayna leans over.

"Nowhere in the rules did it say we couldn't battle the same trainer multiple times, so lets go with that!" She yells over the ocean air rushing past us, and I nod.

We make it to the island, and I quickly jump off Effie's back, as she runs aground and keeps her speed, swimming through the sand.

Rayna lands quickly after me, and I risk a glance behind as we run towards the line of trainers.

The entire first half of the race is pandemonium. There are wild pokemon bobbing all over the track, and they are ruthlessly spewing attack after attack at the other contestants. I watch as the girl who helped us before, Deanna, is thrown off the back of her large penguin pokemon, and is set back almost a hundred yards. I also notice a younger boy, who's arm is frozen in a solid chunk of ice, and I wince guiltily.

We make it to the trainers, and Rayna runs down the line, starting with the far end as I start with the closest.

It's an older man, with white hair and a white beard, and he stands like a sumo wrestler. He releases his pokemon, which is a crab looking pokemon, but it has boxing gloves on.

"Effie, Ice Fang!"

Effie darts forward, slamming her fangs into the pokemons claw, and throwing it into a nearby tree, instantly unconscious.

"Ohoho! Your a strong one, aint you!" The man laughs, returning his pokemon and handing me a small bracelet with three beads on it.

"Next!" I shout across the field, and his eyes go wide, but he nods, releasing a Mankey.

Another Ice Fang and the poor pokemon is frozen solid, also unconscious.

He returns it, handing me another bracelet with two beads.

"Next!" He shakes his head, chuckling at the scenario, and releases a small chubby pokemon, also with boxing gloves.

Effie makes quick work of the poor fighting type.

"Well, that was interesting!" He shakes my hand, handing me a third bracelet, this one with only one bead on it.

I look behind me, and see the rest of the contestants are finally reaching the island. I also see that Rayna has just finished her first battle.

I look between the two of them, and run for Ray, Effie close behind me.

"Rayna! I got my three, I'm heading back!" She nods, as Primarina gets slammed into the ground by her opponents Leaf Tornado.

"Go! I got this!" She winks at me, and turns her attention back to the battle.

"Aria, Oceanic Opperetta!" I don't stay to find out what that move is, but I can sure hear it.

I hop onto Effie, as the ear-splitting note comes out of Primarina, rendering three of the line of trainers' pokemon unconcsious.

They all hand her beads, but I turn back, in time to see a large pink head surface ahead of us.

Jellicent's body rises, until she's floating well above the water.

"OOOOOOooh." She moans, daring us to pass.

Effie stops, and Rayna quickly pulls up beside us.

"We got the most amount of beads, everyone else is screwed!" She laughs, but her eyes are glued to the giant pink ghost water type in front of us.

"What do we do?" I ask quietly, and she shakes her head.

"I doubt I could outrun her... but..." She looks at me, then shakes her head again.

"I could." I finish, and she nods.

"I have an idea..." I explain m plan to her and Aria quietly, and they nod.

"Are you sure, babe?" She asks, and I nod.

"A hundred percent. Wait for my signal." Effie shoots forward, and my burn stings at the sudden on-burst of salty air.

I hiss through the pain, as we pass under Jellicent.

She whips around, a dangerous look of glee in her eyes, and gives chase.

She shoots Ice Beam after Ice Beam after us, and one finally connects with my back, and I watch in horror as a solid block of ice forms around my waist and chest, securing my arms to Effie's fin.

"NOW!" I scream, and Effie launches into the air.

Everything goes in slow motion, as Effie slams into Jellicent with Aqua Jet, and sinks her poison coated fangs into Jellicent's arm, throwing her to the water. I watch as Rayna passes under us, barely missing the falling Jellicent.

I smile, as Effie lands and turns around, going to swim back to shore, when my gut pulls me backwards. I look back, and get slammed by a massive wall of purplish haze.

I'm thrown off Effie, and into the water, as whatever hit me sinks into my skin, making me vomit profusely as I start to sink into the water. The ice block around me prevents me from swimming, so I yell hopelessly as I'm dragged under-water by the heavy ice block.

Just before I go under, I see Effie, screeching as she slams attack after attack into the relentless Jellicent, who is taking the hits and delivering blows.

I also hear someone scream my name before I'm completely submerged.

I try to hold my breath, but as I'm dragged under deeper and deeper, i'm forced to breath out.

All of a sudden, my terror and worry is replaced by an undeniable feeling of bliss. I'm not dying, this cant be death. I feel on top of the world, like I could accomplish anything! I smile, and i suddenly feel very tired. I can sleep here, i'm safe here.

As I close my eyes, I see a shadow above me.

I fall asleep.

The first thing I feel is the urge to vomit. I turn on my side, spewing out water everywhere, until I can finally get air into my lungs.

I open my eyes, and immediately have to shield them from the bright sun.

I notice someone beside me, and I look up.

Rayna. Her eyes are red from crying.

"Ray." I gasp, and she slams me into the ground, hugging me.

'B-B-BABE!" She sobs, and there is a loud clapping sound.

I look over her shoulder, and see that we are back on the beach, and are surrounded by the crowd. I notice my family, Mom sobbing as she runs over, and dad and Kai also crying. Effie is with them, sobbing freely.

"What... what happened?" I gasp, still trying to catch my breath.

"Jellicent hit you with a Hex, causing you to lose motor function." I hear N's voice behind me, and he comes around the front.

Nodding, I look into Rayna's eyes.

"Did it work?" I ask, and she sobs, covering her mouth, but nods.

"Good." I kiss her forehead, and Matthew and Nareen appear, hugging me then taking her away.

"Well... I mean... I guess I'm... I'm all caught up on my... daily water intake..." I gasp, and I know moms behind me cause she slaps me upside the head.

"Lets get you to the infirmary." N stands me up, but I lean against him and shake my head.

"I want to be here for the announcement. I have my..." I look on my wrist, but realize the beads are all gone.

Effie nudges my leg, still crying, but she has a small basket in her mouth. I grab it, and see that there are close to twenty bracelets sitting in it.

"What?" I ask, looking around at the other contestants, who nod their heads.

"After we got you back to shore, the other contestants pooled their bracelets together for you and Rayna." Mom whispers in my ear, and now it's my turn to cry.

"What? Why?" I sniffle, and N laughs, shaking his head.

"Because you risked your life so they could win. Thats pretty deserving, if you ask me!" He explains.

There is another round of clapping, as N leads me over to where Marlon and the bigger trainer from the island are waiting with a stretcher.

"I can walk." I gasp, finally starting to catch my breath, but N shakes his head.

"To hell you can, look at you! You can barely breathe!" He laughs and shakes his head as he gently sits me on the stretcher.

Sighing, I lay down.

I don't realize how tired I am until the rocking of the stretcher lulls me back to sleep...

"He'll be fine, just needs to rest up. Hes lucky he didn't catch something. That Hex is the only thing that saved him."

"Saved him?"

"It kept him from struggling under the ice block, causing him to sink faster and breathe deeper."

"Thank you doc, I'll watch him."

Light footsteps trod away.

I feel a tight constriction around my lower abdomen, and as I open my eyes, I notice a bandage has been tightly wrapped around my body.

I notice N, sitting with Aspen in his lap beside the bed. He's staring out the window, that looks out on the beach, where the crowd is now playing in the sand and water. I notice Aria in the water, and Rayna's bright auburn hair shines like a beacon in the sun as she swims lazily by the shore.

Aspen sees that i've waken up, an squeals happily, jumping onto my lap, kissing my face.

"Hey bud." I sound hoarse, but a hand sticks out a bottle of water.

"Hey." N says quietly, as I crush the water bottle, throwing the empty container into the garbage across the room.

"Hey."

"How do you... feel?" N asks, and I shrug.

"Sore. Thirsty." He chuckles, but shakes his head.

"I was terrified, watching you go under." He whispers, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Hey, i'm fine now." I point out, but he shakes his head.

"We watched as the Hex threw you off of Effie. Effie tried so hard to get to you." He cries softly.

"Who... who got me out?" I ask, and he wipes his eyes, sitting a bit closer.

"Rayna. She say you go under, and took a direct Ice Beam to her leg to get to you."

"An Ice Beam? From who?"

"A wild Frillish. She used the weight to drag her down quicker, then kicked it off once she got to you. Aria had to help her bring you back, and by then you were..."

"N. I'm fine. Is Rayna okay?"

"She has some bad ice burns on her leg, but other than that she got out unscathed." He chuckles.

"What?"

"You almost died, babe, and your worried about other people." He laughs now, loud and hearty, and I can't help but join him.

The doctor comes back in soon, telling me I can go, I just need to take it easy and rest for the next while.

N walks me out, and he turns towards the commons room.

"Where are we going?" I ask, gesturing towards the beach.

"You are going to bed, doctors orders." He says firmly, but I wrench away, sprinting down the hallway with a yipping Aspen on my heels.

"BABE!" He moans, but runs after me laughing.

I burst into the sunlight, and there is a loud round of applause.

Mom runs up, hugging me hard as Effie, Cleo, and Belle tackle me from behind.

"We were so worried!" She cries quietly, and I kiss her forehead.

"You think an ice cube and a little bit of water can keep me down? Nice try." She smacks me lightly, but laughs and wipes her tears away.

Rayna runs up from the water, and I notice her leg is blotchy and seems tender.

I grab her, squeezing her tightly.

"Thank you." I whisper in her ear.

She pulls back, kissing my forehead.

"I couldn't let you die, could I? Who else would tell me I look pretty everyday?" She flicks her hair comically, and we both laugh.

"Now, come join! Sit on the beach with us." She leads me over, and I wave to my family as I'm dragged to where Nareen, Matthew, Prim, Cosmo, and Sky are all sitting.

The rest of the day is spent laughing and playing around in the sand, but I'm careful not to get to close to the water.

The sun is setting by the time we finally get back inside, and we all go straight to bed.

I'm asleep before I hit the pillow.


	16. Chapter 15

I wake up to all four of my pokemon, crowded on my bed with me. I gently move them aside to check my phone.

9am.

"Crap!" I hiss.

Breakfast is in half an hour!

I jump up, startling all of my pokemon, and throw a pair of shorts on, not worrying about a shirt.

"Run. Whos in?" Belle and Cleo stretch, getting up, but Effie and Aspen jump over to Kai's bed, where he is just waking up.

He lifts the covers, letting them under to stay warm, and I notice Missy on his other side, snoring quietly.

"Going for a run?" He yawns, and I nod.

"Be back soon!" I throw open the slide door, letting Belle and Cleo jump down first, before I throw myself down.

We just finish the third lap before N comes out.

He sits on the steps, as usual, with his coffee, and waves, and I wave back.

"Hey babe." I kiss him gently as I sit beside him.

"Hey. Are you coming to the event today? I'm not supposed to tell you this, but Nareen, Matthew, Cosmo, Prim, and Sky are all in this one."

"All of them?"

"Yeah, we had a larger number of Plasma's than we anticipated, so we are throwing as many as we can into these challenges."

"What kind of event is it?" He looks around before answering.

"Scavenger Hunt." He whispers, and I nod.

"I'm going to shower and get changed for breakfast, i'll meet you there?" He kisses me firmly as an answer, before ruffling my hair and taking off across the courtyard, where Medoa is waving.

I wave back before I head in.

"How are you feeling?" Matthew asks, and I laugh.

"I'm fine! I feel great!" I laugh, but they all give me worried looks.

"Seriously guys, I feel great, and the doctor says I'm fine." They calm a little at that, but nobody relaxes.

Sighing, I take another bite of my eggs.

All of a sudden, there is a loud gong sound from the stage, and N walks out.

"Hope everyone's doing great?" He laughs at the applause.

"Now, I have some exciting news. The next event is today, and the participants will be informed after breakfast of who they are. Also, the rest of the events will be held tomorrow, all four of them, so if your not picked today, be ready! The TeamRace has been bumped up a few days. The winners will be chosen tomorrow night."

The room breaks out in hurried and fearful whispers.

"Please, stay calm! We will still have a week to prepare, so do not get too excited!" He laughs.

"Also, as a result of yesterdays incident, we have decided that there will be no more tests involving swimming!" He shoots me a playful glare, and the room breaks out in chuckles.

"That is all! Please, enjoy your breakfast!" He bows, and as the applause dies down he walks off stage.

"I wonder who's getting tested today?" Prim asks, a worried tone in her voice.

The table turns to me.

"Hey, even if i did know I couldnt tell you guys! And I don't!" I lie through my teeth, and everyone but Rayna turns away.

She shoots me a We'll discuss this later glance, before turning back to her conversation with Nareen.

After breakfast, Rayna grabs me by the arm, leading me to the courtyard. Aspen jumps up, and lands on my shoulder, settling down and snoozing as we walk.

We get out, and Effie, Cleo & Belle all run out, getting some exercise.

"Who's in the next test?" She asks quietly, and I shake me head.

"I can't tell you, Ray. If anyone else finds out..." She laughs.

"You can trust me, I just want to know." Sighing, I sit her down on a nearby bench.

" Nareen, Matthew, Cosmo, Prim, and Sky. Plus a few more I don't know about." Her eyes go wide.

"But... that means..."

"I know. Only one of the plasmas will get through."

"Who do you hope it is?" She asks, and I shrug.

"Prim thinks quick under pressure, but Cosmo is strong, and can be a lot of help if we run into anything physical. Sky... I'm not sure of his talents yet, hes kind of a wild card. I guess if i had to choose... probably Prim." She nods.

"Are the other plasma's part of our pact?"

"I haven't had time to ask them, but i'll go ask Prim. She's in her room." I go to stand, but she stops me.

"No, I'll ask her. I have a question for her anyways, regarding my dress." She kisses my cheek, standing and heading to the commons room.

I wait a few minutes, letting my pokemon enjoy the morning sun, before heading up to Sky's room.

"A pact?" He asks, and I nod.

He hands me a pop, which i take gratefully.

"Yeah. Mainly, its to help us get to the final group, then we can break off from there. We have Skull, Rocket, Magma, and us, Plasma, in it at this point." He nods.

"Its smart, get rid of the excess fat before searing the steak..." He says, sipping his drink, and I tilt my head in confusion.

"Its smart to take out the others, before we worry about ourselves." He explains, and I nod, getting it now.

"So? You in?" I sip my drink, and smile as he nods.

"Hell yeah. Its a smart idea, could help us win in the end." He nods again, satisfied with his answer.

"Sick! Now, I have to go talk to Cosmo about it." I stand, but he stops me.

"Cosmo isn't here. He went down to Humilau to train." I nod.

"Thanks, Sky. I'll see you later?" He nods, waving as I head out.

I head out, and see Rayna heading up.

"Hey! How'd it go with Prim?" I ask, and she smiles.

"Prim's in. Sky?"

"He's in to. Cosmo isnt here though, we will have to ask him later." She nods.

"The event isn't until tonight, any plans?" She asks, and I nod.

"Going to head out to Humilau, train a bit."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not." We run to our rooms to get changed, and then out to where the chauffeur is waiting with the car.

Kai decides to join us, and watches our other pokemon as we train.

"Belle, Cotton Spore! Aspen, Powder Snow!"

Belle sends tufts of her fur at the Pelipper, sending it to the ground and holding it's wings to its sides, as Aspen slams it with a devastating gust of freezing air, rendering it unconscious.

"Yeah guys! Good job!" I hug them both, then we step back for Rayna.

We decided K.O for K.O seemed fair, so whenever we knock a pokemon out, we step back and let the others get one, to keep it even.

Rayna points to a nearby Golduck, and Suave and Berri jump out.

"Suave, use Quick Attack, and Berri, use Razor Leaf!"

Suave jumps, slamming the duck pokemon into the ground, where a hard-hitting storm of razor sharp leaves keeps it down.

It stands back up, anger and fear in it's eyes.

"Suave, Pursuit! Berri, Magical Leaf!"

Suave darts behind the Golduck, slamming it towards a waiting wall of psychically charged leaves, that throw it back into the nearby pond. It floats to the top, unconscious as it floats back to shore.

Effie gently nudges it back, and sets it on the grass, before Rayna steps back.

I step forward, and am about to point at another wild Golduck, when a voice cuts me off.

"Ahoy there!" Cosmo jogs up, Watcher and another pokemon I don't recognize beside him.

The pokemon is bright pink, and has two hand shaped fins, one on its head and one coming out from under it. It's eyes are big, but warm and full of love.

"Guys, meet my newest teammate! This is Amara, my Alomomola!" She bows, gracefully.

"Nice to meet you!" I shake her fin, which grasps my hand just like another hand.

"You are so gorgeous!" Rayna bends down, hugging the pokemon, who cooes at the compliment.

"Where did you meet her?" I ask, and he smiles.

"Went swimming down in Humilau with Marlon, and she came right up to me! Shes a sweetheart." He kisses her fin, and she giggles.

"Well, we are just in the middle of training, care to join us?" Rayna asks, and I nod.

"Well, actually... I was hoping you guys would.. battle me."

I look back at my team, and Aspen falls off of Kai's lap in excitement.

"I guess I'm in!" I laugh, and Rayna nods.

We set up across from each other in a small clearing, me going first.

I send out Aspen, and Cosmo sends Watcher.

"I'll ref! Fair battle, guys! Perish song prohibited, along with explosion! First one out of pokemon loses! Begin!"

"Watty, use Super fang!"

"Aspen, Powder Snow!"

Watcher flies forward, aiming for Aspen's neck, but he throws the rat pokemon across the field with a head-on Powder Snow to the face.

"PAT!" Watcher growls, standing up again, but one of his paws is frozen solid in ice.

"Tackle!" Cosmo shouts, and Watcher flies at Aspen with blinding speed.

Before I can retaliate, Aspen is thrown to the ground, and pummeled.

"Aspen, Mud Sport!"

Aspen fires a geyser of mud into the sky, and it lands everywhere, causing Watcher to slip and slide around. Aspen stands again, gracefully sliding along in the mud.

"Powder Snow on the ground!"

"Super Fang!"

Aspen freezes the mud, turning the clearing into an ice rink, as Watcher falls flat on his face, sliding into a nearby tree. The impact knocks him out.

"Damn! Good job, Watty! Amara, your turn!"

Watcher returns to his pokeball, and Amara floats onto the battle field.

I feel Belle tense beside me, as the battle starts again.

"Aspen, use Powder Snow!"

"Amara, Water Pulse!"

Aspen fires a thick shot of snow, but it is dissolved quickly in the onslaught of water that drowns him out.

He is thrown into a nearby tree, unconscious.

"MAAAAA!" Belle screeches, jumping over to him. She grabs him gently, carrying him over to us, all the while shooting murderous glares at Amara and Cosmo.

"Alright, great job Aspen! Now! Go, Eff-" I'm cut off as Belle jumps back out, leaving Aspen with Cleo.

"Belle? Alrighty then!" I laugh, as I watch the pure electricity running through her fleece in anger.

She growls at Amara, who recoils.

"You messed with the wrong baby!" Rayna laughs.

"Amara, use Wake-Up Slap!"

"Belle, use-"

Before I finish, Belle jumps forward, and there is a low rumbling noise.

Rayna grabs my arm, reefing me back.

"THUNDER!"

As her shout finishes, a huge bolt of lightning strikes from above, white hot and blindingly fast. IT strike Amara, and kicks up a huge cloud of dust.

Through the dust, a bright light emerges, and quickly fades away.

The dust settles, and I can finally see what happened.

Amara is in a large crater in the ground, twitching and groaning.

Belle is... bigger? Her wool is now a bright white, and her skin a light pink.

"Belle!" I laugh, hugging her.

"Flaaa?" She baas, kissing my face.

"You evolved!" Rayna laughs, hugging her to.

Cosmo returns Amara, and walks over.

"That was... interesting." He chuckles, and we all laugh.

"Well, i'm not sure about you guys, but I sure worked up an appetite." Rayna laughs as all of our pokemon nod vigorously, and we head for the castle.

After dinner, me and the gang head up to my bedroom, too see mom and dad on the balcony again, chatting over coffee.

"Hey!" I strut out, my new and improved Flaffy, Belle, in front of me.

"Oh, hey sweetie! WHAT? Belle evolved already?" Mom kisses the sheep pokemon, causing her to baa in excitement, and she accidentally shocks dad.

"Whoa there baby girl, I'm a friend!" He laughs as she bows apologetically, kissing his hand.

"So when is the next event?" Kai asks from behind me.

"Tonight, pretty quick actually. You guys coming?" They all nod.

"I'm going to get changed, then we will head out for the site, okay?" I kiss Belle, and pass my other pokemon, who are now lounging with Missy, and change clothes.

After, we head out for the event site.


	17. Chapter 16

The next event site is very dark, placed in a large clearing of tall grass in the forest outside of the castle.

The crowd is huge, and spread out across the entire perimeter.

N squeezes my arm, whispering in my ear.

"I have to go announce the event, but i'll come back after, okay?" I nod, kissing him gently over my shoulder, and he takes off.

The crowd goes silent as N is lifted into the middle of the clearing by the Alakazam from before.

"Welcome to tonights event, everyone!" The crowd cheers in anticipation.

"Tonight's contestants are..."

Everyone heads up as they are called.

Nareen and Martin.

Matthew and Ruption.

Cosmo and Watcher.

Prim and Princess.

Sky and Sly.

And a few more I dont recognize from other teams.

"Tonights event is pretty simple. What is it, you might ask? Well..." A group of Machamp and a large pokemon I havent seen before walk out, carrying huge containers.

"Water fight! Well, with paint, but you get the gist. If you get hit, your out. Contestants, take your places by your corresponding Machamo or Conkeldurr!" Everyone claps, as the contestants take their positions around the field.

A safeguard is placed around the clearing, to stop the crowd from getting splattered with paint.

"Alright, on your marks..." The contestants grab balloons filled with paint, and get ready to run.

"Get set..." Princess growls, and Watcher covers his eyes.

"GO!" Everyone is off like a bullet.

Instantly, Nareen and Matthew fly back to back, their pokemon circling them, welcoming anyone to try and attack.

Sky, Prim, and Cosmo also join forces, creating a triangle of paint madness.

A balloon flies out of nowhere, narrowly missing Nareen, who pushes Mathew out of the way.

As he falls, Martin catches him, swiftly deflecting another balloon as it flies past, keeping it intact as it hits one of the other contestants.

"DUCK!" Prim shouts, before skillfully flinging four balloons over Sky and Cosmo, one hitting Matthew and the other three splattering other contestants.

Finally, it's down to Nareen versus the Plasmas.

Nareen takes her jacket off, throwing it into the crowd, and cracks her knuckles, smiling sadistically.

Sky and Cosmo take a step back, sending worried glances to one another, when Prim does the unexpected.

A balloon in each hand, she slams them onto the heads of Sky and Cosmo.

The crowd goes nuts.

"Sorry guys, it'll be more fun with just the two of us!" She pats their arms as they head to the washing station, heads hung low.

Prim slides her jacket off as well, throwing it back into me and Rayna.

Both her and Nareen smile at each other, as they grab balloons, and I see Princess and Martin ready to pounce.

As if a gunshot had sounded, they are off. They run around each other for a few seconds, before darting in to meet each other in the middle.

Prim launches a balloon above and below Nareen, hoping to catch her off guard, but Nareen quickly tumbles through the air, landing on one hand as she chucks the next balloon, smoking Princess in the tail.

Whining, Princess walks off the field, and Prim looks ready to burst with anger.

Nareen throws another balloon, narrowly missing Prim, but smacking Kai straight in front of his face, pink paint flying everywhere, and splattering over the Safeguard.

I turn back, to see Prim has thrown Nareen to the ground, and has Nareen's shoulders locked under her knees, pinning her to the ground.

Prim raises her hand in victory, ready to smash a balloon into Nareen's face, when Martin flies out of nowhere, grabbing Prim by the arm and throwing her a good yard away. She lands on her feet, already sprinting towards Nareen again.

Nareen jack knifes, getting back to her feet. Nareen has been taking advanced martial arts since she was a small child, so this isnt a new thing for her. Prim, on the other hand, never seemed like the kind of person to harness this kind of ability.

Prim slides by Nareen, just missing an onslaught of balloons, and slams Martin in the chest with one as he is distracted by Nareen.

He sulks off, but I see Princess lick his hand as he washes up, and he kisses her forehead.

Nareen and Prim both reach into their containers for more balloons, but both only come out with one. They give each other a glance, a playful look in their eyes.

Whoever gets this wins, but there is no room for failure.

Prim darts towards Nareen, laughing playfully, as Nareen launches her balloon.

Everything slows down as Prim throws hers as well, and we all watch in silence as they both slam into each other, breaking and splattering paint over both girls.

Everyone stands there in stunned silence, as Prim grabs Nareen in a bear hug, laughing hysterically, and soon Nareen is laughing to.

The crowds cheer is deafening.

Both girls bow, and head to get washed up as N is lifted back into the air.

"Well, that was... interesting!" He starts, and we all laugh. I glance over, and both the girls are chatting away as they wash their hair out under the hot water from the water type pokemon.

"We have decided the winners for the event are as follows..."

"Nareen, of Team Rocket!" Nareen bursts into tears, hugging Prim close in happiness.

"Primrose, of Team Plasma!" Matthew and Sky hug the crying girls, and I wave at them, a huge grin on my face.

"Matthew, of Team Magma!" His face is shocked, but he smiles and waves.

"And finally, Grace, of Team Galactic!" The girl smiles, her platinum blond hair waving gently in the wind.

"And now that that is over, who's ready for bed?" He covers his ears, laughing as the crowd goes wild.

I wake up early, ready for my run, but I notice all of my pokemon are gone.

I sit up quickly, scanning the room for them, but they are no where to be seen, and Kai isn't in bed either.

I throw on a pair of shorts, and a tank top, bursting out of the room.

Mom is on the balcony, sitting across from... N?

"Hey!" He smiles as I walk out, shivering in the early morning air.

"Hey guys, do you know where my pokemon went?" I ask, and they laugh.

"Kai wanted to catch his own, but your pokemon wouldn't let him go alone, so they all went, even your Dad. Well, except for baby Aspen." She lifts the small bundle in her hands that I hadn't noticed before, and Aspen waves her little paw at me, before going back to enjoying the crisp morning air.

"Kai went to catch his own pokemon? Where did they go?" I ask, pulling a pair of socks on.

"Humilau, I was about to go meet him down there, if you wanted to join?" Mom asks, and I nod.

"The next event is in a half hour, but I didn't think you were interested in coming to the rest of them, right?" N asks, and I shake my head.

"I've seen everyone I wanted to see. I'll go get ready, Mom." I kiss her forehead, before heading back in.'

N appears in the door way as I'm pulling on clean clothes, and he giggles as he kisses me.

"Whats up?" I ask, and he smiles.

"I'm so glad your brother chose a Unovan pokemon as his first one." He whispers, and I kiss him again as I slip a shirt on.

"Me too. It'll be the talk of the town back in Kanto." He laughs, as we head out.

Aspen launches onto my shoulder, sitting quietly and snoozing as me and Mom head for Humilau.

"Belle, ThunderBolt!" Kai shouts, and Belle obeys, striking the Golduck hard, and rendering it unconscious instantly.

"Darn!" He moans, but keeps wheeling himself deeper into the route.

"Kai, we are going a bit to far from the road..." Dad moans for the hundredth time, but Kai keeps going.

"Soon, dad! I can feel it!" He reassures, but Mom just chuckles, knowing that we are nowhere NEAR close to finished.

I laugh, stroking Cleo's head as we walk.

'Hey, theres something down there!" Kai stops his chair at a small lip, overlooking a huge valley.

There is a huge divide through the middle of the valley, the earth opening up in a gaping chasm. I notice that there is a strange lack of pokemon around it, but there are also many cave entrances around as well.

I'm surprised that i've never encountered this place before, even though I've been through this route at least a hundred times.

"Kai, that looks dangerous..." Mom trails off, but Kai shakes his head.

"No, look! By the big tree! Somethings down there!" I follow where his hand is pointing, and see a horrific scene.

There is a small white and red pokemon, lying on the ground. Around it are a handful of orange and silver rock pokemon, and they are launching attack after attack at this pokemon, causing it so that it cant move of defend itself.

"KAI!" Mom screams, and I'm taken out of my trance by the sound of Kai's wheelchair sliding down the slope towards the tree.

Dad goes to jump down, but I stop him.

"Belle, Aspen! Stay here, make sure they are safe!" Both pokemon nod, and herd mom and dad back from the edge.

"Cleo, Effie, with me!" I jump down, following a ways behind Kai.

Using the momentum of the slide, Kai used his chair as a makeshift battering ram, flying head first into the group of pokemon, and knocking a handful of them back. He parks his chair in-front of the injured pokemon.

"You want it, your going to have to get through me!" He growls, throwing his hands up. The pokemon look taken aback, but band together to charge an attack.

Kai's eyes go wide as they launch their Solarbeam at him.

Not thinking, I throw myself in front of him, the attack slamming me back into the tree.

Everything goes black.

KAI

"NO!" Kai screams, as his brothers body is thrown against the tree behind him.

His body then falls to the ground with a solid THUMP, and he doesn't move again.

"NO!" Kai screams again, and turns around to witness a massacre.

Effie rips the rock tips off of one of the pokemon, throwing it into the giant chasm, as Cleo digs into the eye sockets of the next one, rendering it blind.

The last two, both orange sun-shaped pokemon, turn to run, but a hard hitting AquaJet from Effie sends them into the chasm as well.

Kai grabs the injured pokemon, placing it in his lap as he hurries over to where his brother is lying on the ground, both Effie and Cleo at his side.

Kai lifts himself out of the chair, landing on the ground with a painful UMPH, and checks his brothers pulse.

It's... faint. But still there.

"Kai? Kai?!" A voice sounds form behind him, and Cleo and Effie both perk up, teeth bared, as Cosmo slides down.

"Holy..." He gasps, but whips into action.

"Did you check his pulse, Kai?"

"Faint, but still there!"

"Are YOU okay?"

"I'm fine, he shielded me from the SolarBeam."

"I can only bring one up at a time, so I'll take him, okay?

"Please, make sure hes okay!"

Cosmo gently lifts the unconscious boy, standing up slowly.

"Effie or Cleo, one of you stay here with Kai, until I get back, okay?" They both nod, and Cleo helps me back into my chair as Effie helps push Cosmo back up.

Kai gently lifts the injured pokemon to his chest, warming it with is body heat.

It slowly opens it's eyes, moaning quietly.

It's eyes go wide at the sight of Kai, and it starts chattering away.

"I cant... I dont know..." Kai stutters, unable to understand the pokemon, but Cleo's ears prick up, and she starts sniffing around, before coming to a dirty white cloth bag by the trunk of the tree. She gently lifts it, bringing it over, and gesturing to the pokemon with her tail.

"Oh!" He grabs the bag, dusting it off, before placing it on the pokemon's chest.

It's eyes soften, and it nods, smiling as it holds the bag close.

"Kai!" Cosmo appears again, Matthew at his side.

"How did..." But Matthew shakes his head.

"Came to watch my honorary little bro catch his first pokemon!" He smiles, lifting Kai out of the chair.

Cosmo grabs Kai's chair, leading them up to where a car is waiting.

Kai wheels himself out of the way as his brother and the injured pokemon are loaded onto stretchers, and into the castle's infirmary.

"Baby!" Mom flies out, kissing his forehead.

"What happened? Cosmo sent us away when he got there!" Dad growls, and Kai starts to cry.

"I just... I wasnt able... to..." He cries, and Mom grabs his in a hug.

"This was not your fault, okay? You went to help out of the kindness of your heart, and I am SO proud of you!" She cries soflty, kissing his forehead and squeezing his shoulders.

"Hey! What the hell happened?" N runs up, and Dad stops him.

"There was an accident, everyone is is okay, they are treating-"

N is already off to the infirmary.

"I think I'm starting to like that boy..." Dad shakes his head, chuckling as N rushes to check on the injured.

"I think I need... to go to... bed..." Kai shivers, and he is lead back to the room by Mom, Dad, and Aspen.

N

Back in the Infirmary, N watches as doctors treat his boyfriend's wounds, dressing the burns on his chest and stomach, and making sure his back inst broken from the impact.

"Hey." N watches as Rayna approaches, her eyes red from crying.

"Hey sweetheart. How are you?" He asks, hugging her closely.

"Scared. Is he going to be alright?"

"They think so. You know what happened?" She shakes her head, and N chuckles.

"He threw himself infront of a SolarBeam, protecting his brother and an injured pokemon."

She gasps, and touches the glass gently.

"Please, make sure we can visit him." She asks gently, and N nods.

"It's dinner time, and we need to calm down so the doctors can work. We can check on him after dinner, bring him something to eat." She nods, and they head to the dining hall.


	18. Chapter 17

The first thing I feel is the pain.

Well, not pain, more like a throbbing soreness, but it hurts nonetheless.

I open my eyes, and the lights in the room are dimmed.

I slowly scan the room, to see Cleo, Effie, and Belle all curled up in a bed by the corner, and Aspen is sitting between my legs.

Sitting up slowly, I gently kick my legs off the bed, standing.

I need to make sure Kai is okay.

I check the clock...

2AM.

Sighing, I wake my pokemon up.

After the initial tackling and kissing, Cleo and Effie take a side, while Belle leads the way and Aspen follows.

I grab hold of Effie and Cleo, and we make our way out.

There are no doctors on, but a few nurses give me concerned looks. I just wave them off, telling them I feel fine, and jst want to sleep in my own bed.

We make it to the commons room without hiccup.

We enter, and I notice Medoa is sitting, sipping from a steaming cup in her hands, and shes talking to... Prim?

Prim's eyes light up as she sees me.

"Oh my god!" She cries, flying into my arms.

Medoa walks over, hugging me as well.

"I see you get into lots of trouble, mister!" She tuts me, but laughs.

"Where are you going?" Prim asks, wiping her tears away, and I point to the stairs.

"Bed, hopefully." I laugh, but my abdomen stings with each heave.

"Need help?" Medoa asks, but I wave them away.

"I got all the help I need, but thank you girls." I hug them both again, and head slowly up the stairs.

We get about halfway when I hear the door at the bottom bang open, and hurried footsteps behind me.

Sighing, I turn around to face the wrath of N.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" He growls quietly, his face beet red with anger.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" I ask innocently, and he groans.

"You need to be resting!"

"Where do you think I'm going?" I laugh, and he shakes his head, the color fading from his complexion.

"You are going to get yourself killed!" He chuckles, and I laugh with him.

He leans in, kissing my cheek, then takes Cleo's place, helping me up the stairs.

We make it to the room, and quietly open the door.

I was hoping everyone would be asleep, but Mom and Dad are on the bed, talking quietly, a small bundle between them.

"Baby!" Mom cries, darting off the bed and into my arms.

"Hey mom." I laugh, kissing her hair.

"I was... so... worried!" She sobs quietly, and Dad gently takes her off of me, hugging me gently.

"Hey bud. You get going to bed, we will talk in the morning." I nod, and turn to N.

"I got it from here, babe. I will see you tomorrow for the results ceremony." He nods, and I kiss him, firmly, before heading into the room.

Before heading to bed, though, I turn back to my parents.

"What is that?" I ask, pointing to the bundle, and Dad smiles.

"That's Delibird, the pokemon your brother saved."

I wake up, and my phone says its 6am.

Smiling, I go to sit up, but my pokemon are so huddled in around me I can't even move.

"Guys, I have to go out!" I laugh quietly, and they begrudgingly move, growling and murmuring in tired voices.

I quickly shower, making sure to watch my stomach, and get dressed.

"Coffee! Anyone interested?" I ask, and they all shrug, knowing they'll get juice and cookies out of it.

"Bro?" Kai turns over, his eyes slitted in the light from the bathroom.

"Hey little brother! How are you?" I sit on his bed, and he grabs my arm.

"I was... so scared..." He whispers, but I squeeze his arm warmly.

"I am so proud of what you did, and I'm sure Delibird is to." His eyes go wide.

"Delibird? Is that the pokemon I helped?"

"Yes! It's with mom and Dad." He instantly sits up, pulling a shirt on, and lifts himself into his chair, quickly wheeling himself out.

Mom and Dad are chatting over coffee on the balcony, as usual for this time in the morning, and Delibird is fiddling with it's bag on the bed, but it's eyes light up when it sees Kai.

"Biiiiir!" It squawks, flying into him.

He hugs it tightly, and I see mom and dad walking in to see what the commotion was about.

"Hey buddy!" Kai laughs, kissing it's forehead, and it shakes its head, smiling.

"Bud...ette? Bud-ette?" Kai corrects himself, and she nods.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, and she smiles wider, laughing and flying around in circles.

"She looks happy." Mom says, and me and Dad nod.

"Well, I'm sure you want to get back..." Kai says quietly, but she lands on his lap, lifting his chin and shaking her head.

She points to a pokeball on my belt, then to him, smiling.

"Wait..." He stutters, and I hand him an empty pokeball.

"Are you sure...?" He asks, and she nods, headbutting the middle of the pokeball, and getting sucked in in a flash of red light.

The ball shakes three times, then clicks.

He releases her instantly.

"Oh wow! My first pokemon!" He laughs, and we all cheer.

"Are you going to name her?" Dad asks, and Mom giggles in excitement.

He thinks for a minute, and Delibird hops from foot to foot in excitement.

"What about... Oh! Delia!" He shouts, and everyone goes quiet.

Delibird jumps around, chirping and clapping for her new name.

He scoops her up, hugging her tightly.

"Delia it is! Glad to have you on my team, Delia!" They laugh, and she plants a kiss on his cheek.

"So he named it Delia?" Matthew asks, and I nod.

"Shes a total sweetheart, and they are going out to train today." I smile at the thought of Kai training his own pokemon, and Ray puts her hand on my wrist.

"We are so proud of him." She whispers, and everyone nods.

"Stop that mushy stuff, I'll cry!" I laugh, wiping a tear out of my eye, and they all laugh to.

"So, results ceremony tonight..." Matthew starts, and we all tense up.

"The pact still stands, no matter what." Nareen puts in, and we all nod.

"If we all get in, and we make it to the end, what happens then?" Rayna asks, and they all look at me.

"We fight, fair and square. One pokemon each, loser takes the fall. That way, no hard feelings, and no-one gets hurt." They all nod.

"Thats fair. I would hate to have to beat you guys up..." Nareen laughs.

"Trust me, if Prim gets in there will be enough of that!" We all laugh.

"Are you going out to train with Kai as well?" Rayna asks me, and I shrug.

"Probably, but mom and dad want to go to so I might just hang around here till tonight. Maybe go see Marlon, had a question for him about Effie's training." She nods.

"Can I tag along? I have no plans for today either." She asks, and I nod.

"I have training with the Rockets, this morning." Nareen says, and Matthew nods.

"Same with me and the Magmas." We all nod.

"Well, we will see you guys for the announcement tonight!" We all hug, then go our separate ways, mine and Rayna's pokemon following us closely.

"A what?" Marlon asks, scratching his head.

"I forget what its called, but its something a water type pokemon holds... it boosts their attacks..." I wring my hands, searching for the answer.

"Oh! Like, a Mystic Water, or a Water Plate!" He claps, pointing at me with a grin.

"Yes! Mystic Water!" I laugh, and Rayna laughs behind me.

"I have some here, did you want one?" He asks, and my eyes go wide.

"Would you lend me one, till I can get my own?" I gasp, and he laughs.

"Of course, bud! I don't need all of them!" He laughs, reaching into a small cupboard behind him in the living quarters, and taking out a beautiful necklace, with a teardrop shaped glass capsule, filled with a shimmering liquid.

He hands it to me, and I wave Effie over from where shes swimming with my other pokemon, except Belleweather, who isnt allowed in the water because she shocked the whole gym on accident.

Effie jumps gracefully onto the dock, landing beside me in a quick somersault.

I gently slip the necklace on to her fin, and it slides nicely down to her forehead.

The chain fades away, leaving the capsule embedded in her forehead.

She smiles, nibbling my fingers before jumping in again.

"Oh, and I had something for you to..." His brow furrows, and he heads into the living quarters.

"Be right out!" He shouts, and theres sounds of something being rummaged through.

Me and Rayna go back to the lily pad we were floating around on, and stick our feet off the edge into the water, playing gently with the small pokemon flitting around.

"I wonder what he has for you?" She asks, and I shrug.

"Probably something to do with Effie, but I'm not sure."

He appears from the back room again, something clenched in his hand, and he dives into the water, swimming quickly towards us.

"Here!" He hands me a small leather bag, sealed tight with straps.

"What is it?" I ask, undoing the straps.

"I'm not to sure, but the man I bought it from said it had something to do with Sharpedo, so I grabbed it for you." He smiles, pulling himself onto the pad beside us.

"Oh my god, Marlon! You didn't have to!" I take it out, and gasp.

In the bag is a beautiful stone, about the size of a small pebble. It glimmers in the sunlight from the glass roof, and it shimmers in the colors of Effie, navy blue and a light yellow. It is encased in a wiring case, which is attached to a leather cord, and I slip it around my neck.

"Marlon!" I gasp, watching the light dance off of it, and he laughs, pushing me gently.

"It's fine! Looks good on you." He gives me a wink, before slipping back into the water and swimming away before I can protest.

He swims over to Effie, gently grasping her top fin, and they shoot off.

"Thats gorgeous." Rayna whispers, gently rolling it around in her fingers.

"I know..." I laugh as Effie flies into the air, barely grazing the roof with Marlon wide-eyed still on her back, and lands with a mighty splash, soaking everyone around them.

We grab our seats, and Matthew and Nareen are already there.

"How's it going guys?" Rayna asks politely, but they just nod.

This is the final moment, the moment of truth.

N walks out on stage, and the room goes silent as the grave.

"Well, I wont bore you with the niceties tonight, as you are all probably wanting to hear the results." There is a polite clapping from around the room, but noone says a word.

"I have asked my fellow team leaders to come up, and announce their own team's winners. We will start with Team Rocket."

Jessie and James walk to the front of the stage, and Jessie holds out an envelope for James to read from.

"Team Rocket has chosen it's two contestants! They will be..." Nareen tenses up beside us, and Rayna puts her head on her shoulder.

"Nareen and Daryn! Congrats ladies!" James claps, and Nareen finally breathes out.

"Yay! Go Nar!" Rayna hugs her, and I reach across the table to kiss her hand.

Shelley and Archie head up next.

"Hey sweethearts! We picked ours, after much deliberation!"

"We picked... Sam and Harold!" There's polite clapping as the contestants stand and bow.

Next is the man who introduced himself as Maxie.

"Magma has two as well..." Matthew sucks in a deep breath, and I rub his arm reassuringly.

"Matt and Marcia!" We all cheer, and Matthew breathes out, wiping a tear from his eye.

Jupiter is next, with a tall man with a stern face and blue hair.

"Here we go guys!" She giggles, as the man reads the names quickly and efficiently.

"Ram and Wendy." He says gruffly, and we all cheer.

N walks forward next, and my heart stops.

"Here at Plasma, we decided on two as well. We will be sending in..."

I look over to the table where Prim, Sky, and Cosmo are holding hands, eyes closed, and Rayna grabs my hand.

"Primrose and-" Sky and Cosmo cheer like crazy as my name is called as well.

Rayna squeezes my hand, kissing my cheek, and Matthew hugs me as well.

N winks at me, before heading off stage.

Next is Lysandre, but I dont even hear who he calls, cause I'm so pumped with adrenaline.

Finally, Kuikui walks out on stage.

"Guzma got called back home to Alola, but I will be here to help train the contestants from Skull! And, speaking of, here they are..."

Rayna tenses, but I kiss her hair, and she leans onto my shoulder.

"Grant and Rayna! Great job you two!" He laughs, and his lab coat flies back as he turns, revealing a chiseled six pack and the slightest wisp of chest hair.

She cries out, and covers her mouth with her hand as she cries happily.

"We did it! All of us!" Nareen laughs, grabbing us all in a group hug across the table.

"Now, would all of the contestants please follow us leaders? We will be having a private dinner to discuss what we are doing from here." N bows, and waves us up to the stage.

Grabbing my drink, we all head up.


	19. Chapter 18

"Well, first off! Congratulations, contestants!" N starts, raising a toast to us, which we all laugh and clink our glasses to.

"So, this is mainly just a formal dinner, but we will be having a meeting to discuss the next steps in a few days, before we leave." Shelley says, sipping from her drink, and the leaders all nod.

"So... are we allowed to train in the next few days?" Rayna asks.

"Of course! These next couple days are yours for the choosing, but three days from tomorrow, we will be leaving." Archie says, downing his third glass.

We all nod, then turn to our neighbours.

Rayna is sat beside me on one side, Prim on the other.

"You guys want to train together?" Prim whispers, and we all nod, and both Nareen and Matthew nod from their position across the table as well.

Chefs bring out a few mixed platters of meat and veggies, and we pick as we discuss.

"So, what are the rules on pokemon? We can bring all of them?" Rayna asks, but Prim shakes her head.

"Last TeamRace, I went to the local gymnasium to watch on the school's projector, and the teams only had four pokemon each, two per team mate." She explains, and we nod.

"I'll be bringing Pikki for sure then, but it'll be hard to choose between Berri and Suave..." Rayna trails off, and I nod.

"I'll be bringing Effie for sure, but I have no idea who to bring for my second. Maybe Cleo? Are there obstacles?" I ask, and N nods from across from us.

"I can't go into detail, but there will be trainer pokemon running amok in the maze." He whispers, but Shelley shoots him a playful look, daring him to go on.

Her eyes dart to me, then to my chest, and her eyes widen.

My cheeks go rosy as I try to sink back into my chair again, but she gestures to my necklace, the one I received from Marlon earlier.

I turn it around, taking it off and showing it to her, but she shakes her head and laughs, poking the big sumo trainer I battled on the island, and he turns to see it, his eyes lighting up.

He quickly pulls a pen out of his shirt pocket, and scribbles a note on a napkin, pushing it over to me.

Rayna and Prim are so into their conversation about what outfits to bring that they dont see the whole exchange, even as I reach across, grabbing the note. It reads;

My name is Hala. Meet me and Shelley on the back beach after dinner. Bring your pokemon.

He looks at me expectantly, and I nod.

His grin stretches across his whole face, as him and Shelley get into a heated conversation, all the while looking back at me every few seconds.

After the dinner, I release Effie, and we head to the beach.

Hala and Shelley are already there, waiting on a picnic bench by the water.

"Ho! How are you, my boy?!" He booms, throwing me into a tight bear hug.

"Hey gorgeous." Shelley kisses my cheek.

"Hey guys... so... what is this about? Am I in trouble?" I ask, nervously fidgeting with my necklace, but they both laugh.

"Ho ho! No, son, we were wondering where you got that mega stone on your necklace!" Hala laughs, and I turn my head in confusion.

"What? Whats a... mega stone?" I ask, and their eyes go wide.

"So you don't have... a mega ring?" Shelley asks, and I shake my head.

"Guys, I am really confused..." I start, but Hala sits me down at the table, Shelley across from us.

"What you have on your necklace there, that's called a mega stone." He starts.

"A mega stone? Whats that?" I ask, and he laughs.

"Mega stones are a way for pokemon in their final evolution to... evolve again, for a short period of time." He explains.

"Again?" He nods.

"The one you have there is a Sharpedoite, Sharpedo's mega stone. But, in order to use it, you would need a mega ring."

"So... Effie can use this?" I look between her and the stone, the stone shimmering from the light bouncing off of the waves.

"Yes, barring the level of your friendship. Mega evolution requires both trainer and pokemon to be one hundred percent willing to lay their inner most feelings and desires down for one another. It is one of the few ways in this world for trainer and partner to become one." He finishes, and points to Shelley.

"Shelley will now demonstrate with her Sharpedo." Shelley stands, releasing her Sharpedo, who is a bit bigger than Effie, but has many scars.

"Watch closely to how they react to one another, once the stone is activated." He whispers, standing back.

"Go, Harmony!" She points to the water, and her Sharpedo jumps high into the air.

"Mega Evolution, GO!" She shouts, and she flings the stone into the air. I notice a small ring on her right hand, and the small stone set within lights up as the Sharpedoite flies towards Harmony.

Everything goes silent for a moment, as the stone taps Harmony's top fin, before a loud whooshing sound takes over the silence.

Sand and water shoot up from the ground below, making a sphere around the no longer visible Sharpedo, and I see Shelley tense up.

"Take note of her body language!" Hala shouts over the noise, and I nod, as Shelley tenses up, releasing a low scream as her body convulses slightly. Her eyes close, but when they open again, one isn't the same.

One is her usual, sky blue eye, while the other is a blood red, reminding me of...

Harmony bursts out of the sphere, and I gasp in awe.

She has doubled in size, maybe even tripled, and there are huge fangs sticking out of the top half of her mouth, three on either side of her face, reminding me almost of a chainsaw. The yellow star marking that was on her forehead is now elongated, stretching along her entire body in places, and I notice her teeth are massive as she grins.

Her eyes finally open, and I shout in shock. One is her blood red eye, the eye of a predator, and the other is...

Sky blue.

"As you can see, I was being very literal in the sense that both trainer and pokemon become one." Hala finishes again, and I sigh in amazement.

Shelley walks over, her gigantic shark pokemon following in tow.

"Mega Evolution takes a serious toll on both your and your pokemons body and mind, so it's best not to keep it going for to long." Shelley says, but her voice is low, gravelly almost, like shes just woken up.

She taps her ring, which is glowing brightly, and there is a bright flash as Harmony is surrounded by the bright white light of evolution, and returns to her normal form. As the light fades, I see Shelley has the Sharpedoite in her hand, and both of their eyes are back to normal.

"So... how do I attain one of these... rings?" I ask, and Shelley laughs, slipping hers off and handing it to me, along with a small pouch with a couple belt loops through it.

"Take mine." She hands it out, but I shake my head, stepping back.

"Shelley, no! I couldnt!" But she laughs again, shoving the items into my hands and stepping back.

"I have a mega bracelet at home, so I don't need this ring. Plus, the bracelet is blue, it goes with my outfits." She winks, and I sigh in defeat, putting the ring on.

I'm expecting it to be warm, since Shelley was wearing it, but it's cold to the touch. It also tightens gently around my finger, fitting snugly.

"It will never fall off, as it forms to your finger." Hala explains.

"And that pouch will always stay attached to your belt, holding as many mega tones as you can collect inside of it. It will only produce mega stones for the pokemon on your team that are capable of mega evolving. What pokemon do you have?" Shelley asks, and I count them off.

"Sharpedo, Liepard, Swinub, and Flaffy." They both nod.

"Your Flaffy, once evolved into Ampharos, will also be capable of mega evolution." Hala says, but before anyone can say anything else, there are footsteps behind me and I whip around to see my Mom.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Am I interuppting something? I can come back!" She goes to turn, but Shelley quickly hugs her.

"No ma'am! Just doing some... advanced training." She laughs.

"Hey mom! Whats up?" I ask, and Shelley's eyes go wide.

"Mom? This gorgeous young lady is your mother?! She doesn't look a day over twenty!" Shelley gushes, kissing moms hand before grabbing Hala and whisking him away, winking at me.

"Oh my! Thank you!" Mom shouts after them, before turning to me.

"What was that all about?" She asks, and I laugh, shaking my head.

"No idea."

"Whats up?" I ask as we walk back to our room, and Mom laughs.

"Kai trained hard all day, and wants to show you what they learned." She laughs.

"Good for him! Im so excited for him." She nods.

"This will be good for him. Delia is a total sweetheart, shes always leaving little presents for us everywhere."

"She... poops?" I ask, and Mom bursts into giggles.

"Oh, no! I meant, actually wrapped christmas gifts! It's one of her moves, Present. She drops little packages, and so far we have gotten food, a few clothing items, and Dad accidentally opened a trap one, singed his eye brows as a flamethrower came out." We both laugh.

We enter the room finally, and I see Kai sitting with Delia beside the bed, on the sofa.

They both look bone-tired, but perk up when they see me.

"Hey! Big bro!" I release my pokemon to rest, as I head over to Delia and Kai.

"How's it going dude? Heard you guys went hard on the training today?" Delia flexes her little wings, and I laugh, kissing her forehead.

"We sure did! Delia is learning how to master her Present move, but I have to get some artificial move disks to teach her anything else." He sighs, but I pat his head.

"Well, are you guys up for some more intense training tomorrow?" His eyes light up, and both him and Delia nod vigorously.

"Then we will stop in Humilau and grab you guys some new moves, then you can train with us contestants." They nod again, and I laugh.

"That would be amazing!" Kai says, his eyes wide in amazement.

"Sweet! Be up by six, and ready for breakfast by seven." He nods, lifting himself back into the chair, and wheeling off to bed.

"Thats really nice of you, honey." Mom kisses my forehead.

"You guy's coming?" I ask, but Dad shakes his head.

"Theres something me and your mom have been meaning to talk to you about..." He sits me down on the bed, and they sit on the sofa.

"Is everything okay?" I ask, but Mom shakes her head.

"Your grandma Tottie hasn't been doing to well. Shes in the hospital in Pewter, and the doctors don't think..." Dad trails off, tears in his eyes, and Mom continues.

"It's not looking good. Me and your dad fly out tomorrow to be with her, and hopefully everything will work out, but just in case, we are leaving Kai here with you." She finishes quietly, dad now crying softly.

"Okay. I will make sure everything goes smoothly on our end." I say, and Mom leans forward, hugging me tightly.

"Also, Kai doesn't know, so please try to keep it to yourself for now, at least until we can see the extent of the damage." Dad sniffles softly, and I nod.

"Of course." kiss his forehead, and he squeezes my hand.

"I also had one more thing to ask, and this is a hard one even for me." Mom asks, and I nod, turning to her.

"I was wondering... If you would gift me Aspen?" She asks, and my eyes go wide.

"What? Aspen?" I ask, and she nods.

"Me and him have bonded, and It would kill me to leave him here. My trainers instincts are kicking in whenever I am around him, and I think it would be-"

"Of course." Her eyes go wide.

"What? Really, you would?" Tears fill her eyes.

"I have my hands full with the other three as is, and I agree that with him being so young, its hard for me to train him around here. I also think he really loves you, mom. So, as long as we can convince Belle, you have my blessing." She hugs me, squeezing tightly.

"Thank you baby! I just, I haven't felt this way in years! The excitement of pokemon training, its a feeling I have dearly missed." She says, wiping tears out of her eyes.

"No problem! I think it would benefit both of you. Belle! Bring Aspen over here please!" Belle trots out, a dozing Aspen in her arms as she plops down on the sofa beside mom.

"I have a question for you, hun. This will be a hard one, but I want you to think it through, okay?" Belle nods, her eyes set in a hard determination.

"Mom here was wondering... if you would be willing... to let Aspen go with her." Aspens little eyes go wide as he squeals in excitement.

Belle looks at mom with hard eyes, and they just stare at each other for a moment, Belle's stare hard and steely, with mom's warm and soft...

Belle finally sighs, hugging Aspen close, before handing him over to Mom, who starts crying as she hugs the Flaffy, squishing poor Aspen in the middle.

"Thank you, Belle! I promise to take perfect care of him, and we will come visit whenever we can!" She sobs quietly, and Belle kisses her cheek, tears in her eyes as well.

I kiss both parents, before handing Aspen's pokeball to Mom, and heading to bed.


	20. Chapter 19

"Which pokemon are you looking to shop for?" The clerk asks, and Kai holds Delia up to the counter.

Delia rummages around in her bag, before handing the lady behind the counter a small wrapped gift.

"A Delibird! Why, thank you sweetheart!" She smiles, opening it up carefully, to reveal... a perfectly frozen ice cream sundae.

"Oh wow!" She giggles, taking a spoonful, as she hands us a booklet, outlining the options available for Delia.

"Ice Beam... Blizzard... Aerial Ace... Holy! There are so many!" Kai gasps, and I laugh.

"I'll buy your first three, but your on your own after that!" He laughs, and I smile.

"Okay... Ice Beam for sure... Blizzard... and..." He pauses, having circled the two, and he searches for a third.

Matthew comes up behind us, ruffling Kai's hair.

"Hail is a good choice, if your unsure. It makes it so the opposing pokemon takes damage, and all of Delia's ice attacks are super charged, AND Blizzard is guaranteed to hit." He says, before getting pulled away by Prim again.

"Then... there! Hail, Blizzard, and Ice Beam it is!" He circles the last move, handing the booklet back to the clerk, who is just finishing her sundae.

"Sounds good! Give me a couple seconds!" She heads into the back, and is back in no time, handing three disks to Kai.

"Okay, that'll be... 4500Poke." She says, and I hand her the bills.

"Keep the change, thank you!" I smile at her, as we head out.

Rayna is relaxing with her pokemon on a nearby picnic table, but sits up as we approach.

"Hey! How'd it go?" She asks, and Kai shows her the light blue disks.

"All ice type moves? Well, you sure know how to play to your pokemon's type advantages!" She smiles, handing the disks back, and we head out.

"Now remember, If you plan on using Blizzard at all, make sure to set up Hail a few turns before. Never be afraid to set it up to early!" I explain, and Kai nods.

He points at the opposing Mienfoo, and Delia lifts into the air.

"Delia, set up a Hail, followed by Ice Beam!" He orders, and Delia flies, literally, into action.

She opens her bag wide, and from it, summons a huge storm, which brews around Mienfoo and her, covering a small radius, but forcing them to stay within. As Mienfoo shields it's eyes from the onslaught of sharp icicles slicing into it, Delia launches a devastating beam of pure ice energy at the pokemon, knocking it back into a nearby tree, unconscious.

"Yeah!" Kai laughs as Delia flies back, hugging him.

"Good work, you two! Now, my turn!" I send Cleo out, pointing at a nearby Emolga.

"Shadow Claw!" Cleo flies at the electric flying squirrel pokemon, slamming a energized claw of darkness into its wing, and sending it crashing to the ground, instantly unconscious.

Cleo turns around, obviously disappointed at the lack of battle.

"I'm sorry, Cleo. We will work on finding new places to train." I hug her close, and she purrs in response, licking my cheek.

"We are going to Victory Road tomorrow, if your interested?" Prim says from behind me, and I turn around.

"Victory Road? I thought you had to have all eight badges to go through there?" Kai asks, but Prim shakes her head.

"Plasma recruits can go in and train if they want, but only in the first cave." She explains, and I nod, but Rayna waves from behind Prim.

"And what about us? Can we train to?" She asks, and Prim nods.

"Any teams recruits are allowed. You should totally come with!" Prim suggests, and Rayna laughs, but nods, as do Matthew and Nareen.

"Delia, Hail!" Kai jumps right into another battle with a wild pokemon, as I go and sit in the shade with Rayna and Nareen.

"You guys nervous?" Nar asks, and we both nod. "Good, I thought I was the only one."

"Tomorrow is going to be hard." Rayna points out, and we all nod again.

"I've heard there are ghost types in Unova's Victory Road..." Nareen whispers. Nareen is terrified of ghost types.

"We will all have each other, there's no need to worry." Rayna hugs her, and she nods.

"Isn't this funny, guys?" I point out, laughing, and they both look at me with confused expressions.

"Four months ago, we were sitting around Rayna's fireplace, back in Kanto, dreaming of this, of being REGIONS away from home, but together." Everyone goes silent...

...then bursts into laughter.

Matthew had come over, and heard the whole thing, and hes pulling his shirt back on as he giggles away.

"That is funny. But hey! We did it!" He hugs Nareen, who is still laughing.

I look up, and the midday sun is shining brightly in a blue sky without clouds, and I smile.

This is where I am needed, where I was meant to be...

We finish dinner quickly, Kai wanting to head to the beach with Delia, and me ready for bed.

I head up to my room, and find a small note on the bed.

"Love you guys tonnes, promise to come back for the race! Have fun! Love, Mom & Dad."

I smile, placing the note on my bedside table, and sigh, slopping onto the bed, happy to have it all to myself again.

I hop in the shower, letting my pokemon out to roam, when my bedroom door opens.

"One sec!" I call, but he comes right into the bathroom, leaning against the sink.

"How's it going?" He asks, pushing a strand of green hair out of his face.

"Good. Ready for some more intense training tomorrow." I laugh, and he smiles.

"I heard about that, congrats on over powering Route 22." He laughs, and I smile.

"Thanks, but my pokemon arent to happy about it." I point out, and he nods.

"They wouldnt be, its no longer a challenge for them. But Victory Road is vicious, the pokemon near untameable. Please be careful."

"I will. You look good today!" I say, gesturing to his outfit, a tight pair of black jeans, teal shirt, with a white cardigan draping almost to his feet, where I notice a pair of blue high-tops.

"Thanks babe, you too." He winks, and I laugh, gesturing for him to join me.

The shower itself is a giant stand-up shower, with tonnes and tonnes of room for me, all of my pokemon, and N, if we ever needed to fit that many people in it.

He strips quickly, hopping into the hot water, and I kiss him.

I brush his hair out of his face as I gently push him against the back wall of the shower, grinding my body onto his as he moans in pleasure.

He runs his hand down my chest, not stopping till I growl into him, and he laughs.

He flips me around, so I'm against the wall, and runs a hand through my hair as he kisses me deeply, moaning slightly.

"God I missed you..." I whisper, and he nods.

"I know the feeling..." He growls, kissing my chest as he lowers himself to his knees...

"You sure you dont want me to spend the night?" He asks, laughing as he ties his wet hair back, and I nod.

"I'll be fine, I have Kai and Delia. But thank you." I kiss him again, shivers flowing through me, and he laughs.

He takes the slide out, just as Matthew walks in with Kai and his chair.

"We will find an easier way for you to get up here, I promise." Kai laughs as I hug Delia and Matt.

"Thanks man, see you bright and early tomorrow!" I wave as he heads out.

"Thank you for today." Kai says suddenly as I sit down.

"What?" I stutter, taken aback, and he laughs.

"Thank you for today, the training really helped, and Delia loves those moves you bought for her." He explains, and I nod.

"Its not a problem bro, I'm just happy to see you training! It warms my heart to see you with Delia." I smile as she kisses him goodnight, before tucking into her bag.

"Shes... perfect. I needed a friend, now that your gone, and she is perfect." He says quietly, kissing her forehead, and placing her bag beside a sleeping Cleo.

"Good. Now, we'd better get to bed! I have to be up early for Victory Road. Any plans for tomorrow?" I ask, and his eyes light up.

"Yeah! Jessie wants to talk to me about joining Team Rocket!" He says, and my eyes go wide.

"That amazing! What would you be doing?" I ask, and he smiles wider.

"Information collection on the various pokemon of Kanto!" He says without skipping a beat.

"A Dex-er? They are going to make you a PokeDex-er? THAT SO COOL!" I jump up, hugging him close, and tears well up in my eyes.

"Hey, no crying! It's going to be fun! And, they said I could, MAYBE, transfer to Johto!" He laughs, clapping in excitment, and i hug him again.

"Kai thats... thats just... phenomenal. I'm so excited for you! It's going to go great, I can feel it!" He nods, waving as he wheels himself into his makeshift bedroom in the closet.

"Night!"

"Night!"

I hop into bed, but lights outside the balcony catch my eye, and I head out quickly to catch them.

I open the balcony doors, and step outside, to see something that takes my breath away.

Floating in the sky, like millions of falling stars, are thousands of Illumise and Volbeat, all dancing as they glow, singing a somber melody.

I gasp as a pair floats right over top of me, singing along with the rest as they float.

I sit on the balcony chair, pulling a blanket up to my chest, and quickly fall asleep to the beautiful tones of their melodic voices...


	21. Chapter 20

"Hey? You okay?"

"He's out here!"

"Come on, seriously?"

I open my eyes, and get instantly blinded by the morning sun.

I throw my hands up to block it, but a shadow covers it.

"We were supposed to leave like twenty minutes ago!" Rayna laughs, playfully smacking my arm.

"What? Huh?" I stand up, still groggy, and start to fall, but a pair of strong hands catches me.

"Whoa there bud! You been drinking?" Matt laughs, and everyone joins in.

"He must have gotten entranced by the Sing last night." Nareen points out, and they all nod.

"Sing? Huh?" I mumble, as we shuffle inside.

"All those Volbeat and Illumise. It's mating season, so they join in huge groups and perform their sing attack, trying to woo one of the other species." Nareen explains, and I nod.

"I watched them! Then a pair flew over me, and I passed out not long after." They all nod, laughing.

"Go get changed! It's time to go!" Rayna laughs, leading me to the closet.

"Where is Kai?" I ask, finally starting to wake up a bit.

"Jessie and James came and grabbed him. Wonder what for?" Matt thinks aloud from my bed, where he is petting a still sleeping Cleo. She purrs, leaning into him.

"They offered him a position in Team Rocket! A Dex-er!" I call out as I change, and I hear them all whoop.

I head back out, stringing my belt on and triple-checking that I have all of my pokeballs.

"Thats so exciting for him! He's going to love it!" Rayna's smile is beaming.

I stop in the middle of the room, turning to survey everyone, and I feel my heart warm.

Matt is now play-wrestling with Cleo, who is purring happily as she tries to get the upper hand.

Rayna is sitting with Belle, helping her curl the wool around her head by twisting it and holding it.

Nareen is talking with Effie, petting her and laughing away, and Effie is smiling like she won the lottery.

"You okay?" Rayna asks, standing up, and I smile.

"Never been better. Lets get going!"

"Welcome to Victory Road!" N laughs as he gestures to the mountain ahead of us, and the old, cracked foot path in front of us.

A tumble weed floats by.

"It looks... well used?" Nareen says, but its more of a question than a statement.

"Thats because it is! Almost eight hundred trainers make their way through here a year, maybe more!"

"Well, no sense in wasting time. Lets go!" Rayna ties her hair back, puts a bandanna on, and leads us into the first cave, but N darts ahead and blocks the entrance.

"Whoa-ho-ho! Not so fast! You really thing I was going to let you go through here by yourself? Everyone, pick a partner. And, why not make this training day a little more... interesting, shall we?" His eyes have a dangerous glint, and he waits for us all to pick partners.

Prim grabs my arm before anyone else can, Nareen and Matthew team up, and Rayna goes with her other Skull teammate.

"Okay. So, we are going to have ourselves a little challenge!" N starts, and everyone goes silent.

"First group to the top of the mountain, gets to use my private jet for an entire day, and are allowed to take it anywhere within the region for twenty-four hours." I look at Prim, eyes wide.

"We could train by Nimbasa again!" Prim gasps, and I nod.

"Or Striaton!" Rayna says behind me, and we nod again.

Me, Nareen, Matt, and Rayna all lock eyes, nodding in unison.

No matter who wins, we all get to use the jet.

"Alright, get ready guys!" We line up in the cave entrance.

"On your marks..."

"Get set..."

"GO!"

And just like that, 14 teenagers dart into a mysterious cave, no questions asked.

"Thank god we have Belle!" Prim says, sighing in relief.

Belle used Flash right away, making the entire cave visible for us.

"Right? Now, lets find our way out, but we can't forget to train." She nods, and we set off again.

It's been a few hours, and we've already made it through to cave number three, the first cave with absolutely NO lighting, but we have yet to see any wild pokemon...

Cleo and Effie stay by my sides, listening for any oncoming attacks.

"Say, you think we should catch anything around here?" Prim asks, kicking Princess's ball again, letting her run after it, yapping.

She runs out of Belle's flash range, around an upcoming corner, and dissappears.

"I mean, it's definitely something to consider, but-" I stop abruptly, and Princess goes silent ahead.

Prim notices it to, rushing ahead to the corner.

She turns it...

And screams.

"EFFIE!" I point, grabbing Prim and throwing her behind me as I whip around the corner.

Belle sticks her tail around, illuminating the scene ahead.

First thing I see is Princess, her ball in her mouth, trembling before the massive figure in front of her.

I look up, and see...

A Bibarel?

"Bib!" It giggles, falling from its hind legs to a sitting position, and clapping its hands at the new arrivals.

Effie stops mid-attack, heading back to Prim.

"Wha-What is it?" She whispers from around the corner, and I laugh.

"Come see! I'll warn you, it's pretty terrifying!" She pokes her head out, gasps, then smacks my arm.

"You ass! I thought it was a wild pokemon come to attack us!" She whines, and I laugh again.

The only reason I know that it's a Bibarel is because Mom's friend Talia has one, so I recognized it instantly.

"Hey... buddy?" I ask hesitantly, not wanting to offend the beaver pokemon, and it nods.

A him! It's a boy!

"Bib! Bibib!" He giggles, pulling me into a hug, and I hug him back, laughing.

"Hes adorable!" Prim laughs, jumping in after me for a hug as well.

"What are you doing here, buddy?" I ask, and his eyes go down, his smile turning into a forwn.

"Bibarel. Bib." He says sadly, pointing to my belt.

"A pokeball? Wait, are you a trainers pokemon?" I ask, and he nods, then shakes his head.

"Were you... released?" I ask, and I watch as tears well up in his eyes, as he nods.

"Oh, sweetheart!" Prim wipes his tears, kissing his cheek, and he sniffles, hugging her again.

He is almost a good head taller than her when he sits, and is quite big around, as most Bibarel pack a lot of extra weight.

"Why? Why would someone do that?" I ask, more to myself than anyone.

He points to his arms, pretending to flex, then shakes his head.

"Because you weren't..." I dont finish, but he nods again.

"Strong enough." Prim finishes, sobbing quietly and hugging him tight.

Princess licks his feet, making him laugh, as he gently dries Prim's tears like she did for him.

"Well, if you were MY pokemon, you would be appreciated and loved, no matter how strong, weak, big, or small you were!" Prim sighs, wiping her last tears, and Bibarel perks up.

"What? Whats up?" She asks, and he points to her belt, then to him excitedly.

"Wait... I think he wants you to catch him!" I put in, and he claps, bouncing on his butt as he nods and giggles.

"What? Are you sure?" She asks, and he kisses her forehead, carefully making sure his teeth dont hit her, and he nods again, smiling.

Her face lights up, as she reaches for an empty pokeball, before her face goes from happy to upset.

I hand her an empty pokeball, and she quietly thanks me.

"Here we go!" She whispers to herself, and gently taps the empty pokeball to Bibarel's head, enveloping him in a beam of red energy as he dissappears inside.

The ball shakes once, twice, then three times in her hand with a click.

She releases him instantly, and he hugs her.

"Do you have a nickname?" She asks, but he shakes his head.

"We'll have to fix that then!" She smiles, and he giggles.

We dont end up coming in first, but Matthew and Nareen do, so its not a huge loss.

Rayna caught a Mienfoo, a girl named Macy.

Matthew and Nareen both caught Woobat's, both boys named Yemming (Nareen) and Floe (Matthew).

Bibarel is now called Francis.

And, to top it all off, Martin evolved into a Machoke, and Berri evolved into a Steenee.

"Great work guys! That didn't take half as long as I thought it would!" We all laugh tiredly, watching as the sun finally sets over the mountains in the background.

"I promise, the way down is a lot more fun!" N finishes in a shout, jumping down a dirt-slide beside him.

Francis laughs, grabbing Prim and Princess, and jumping down next.

"Francis, WAIT! WAAAaaaaiii..."

One by one, everyone hops down, until its just me, Rayna, and Nareen left.

"Ladies first!" I bow dramatically, and Nareen laughs, jumping first.

"Where in the world did Prim find a Bibarel?" Rayna asks the moment we're alone.

"His trainer released him because he wasnt tough enough." I explain, and she shakes her head.

"How could someone do that? Raise a pokemon, then decide it isn't good enough. Those kinds of people make me sick." She spits on the ground, fuming mad.

"Me too. Now, we better go." She nods, hopping down.

I sit on the edge, making sure she's all the way down, when something lightly tugs on my shirt.

I returned all of my pokemon due to them being tired, so I know it wasn't them...

I turn slowly, and see... a little green pokemon, with large tusks coming out the side of its mouth.

"Hey buddy!" I turn, so I'm facing him.

"Ax! Ew!" The pokemon giggles, and I pick him up.

"Whats up?" I ask, and he smiles, picking up a pokeball from my belt.

"Wait..." Before I can say or do anything, he bops it onto his head, dissappearing inside.

"Wha..." I stare, confused as it shakes three times and beeps, confirming the capture.

"Um..."

"HURRY UP!" I hear a voice call from far below.

Shrugging, I put the ball back on my belt, and slide off the edge.

"Thats an Axew." N explains, and I nod.

We are on the jet, which is a little crowded but it's not horrible.

Axew, the little green pokemon from before, is sleeping soundly on my lap, as I absentmindedly stroke his head.

"And from the looks of it's tusks, it's newly born." N finishes.

"Newly born? Where is its mother?" I ask, more to myself than anyone.

"Haxorus, that was its mother. Dragon type pokemon are the only type's that have a habit of leaving their eggs as soon as they are born, letting the offspring fend for themselves. Its... natural selection, survival of the fittest, if you will." He explains, and I shake my head.

"Thats stupid. Look at this little guy! Hes a sweetheart!"

"Well, now he's YOUR sweetheart. You going to name him?" N asks, and I nod.

"I think I'll name him..."

NOTE:

Hey everyone;

Sorry about the lack of posting lately, I've been so caught up with work I haven't had time to write! Also, I've been working on a companion series to Serena's adventure, so be sure to keep an eye out for that one! I'll give you one hint... it's called 'Christina'. Do what you will with that information 8D

Thank you guys for sticking around and bearing with me, I will try my hardest to keep the posting as regular as possible!

Until next time;

~Austin 3


	22. Chapter 21

"Hey!" Kai waves as I walk in.

"Hey, how did it go with Rocket?" I ask, sitting down on the bed.

"Good! I start after the Race!" He laughs, and I smile.

"That is amazing, Kai. I'm so proud of you!" I ruffle his hair, laughing.

"Where were you last night, by the way? You never came back?" He asks, and I try hard not to blush.

I spent the night in N's room.

"I, uh, crashed with Matthew. We were dead tired after the training." One of his eyebrow's goes up in an amused expression, so I release my new friend.

"I caught a pokemon! Meet Apophis!" Axew lands gracefully, bowing to Kai as he emerges, before giggling and hugging his leg.

"Hey buddy!" Kai laughs, picking him up, and I notice Delia behind him, still sound asleep in her bag.

"Xew!" Apo giggles, kissing Kai's cheek.

"Mom and Dad called this morning." He says quietly, and I sit again.

"Oh? And how is everything going there?" I ask, but he shakes his head.

"Grandma Tottie passed away earlier this morning." He whispers, and I burst into tears.

"Hey. Hey. It's okay, as cheesy as it sounds, she's in a better place now, with Grandpa." Kai holds me as I sob, but he soon starts crying as well.

He lifts a small box up from behind him, and I point to it.

"What..." I cry quietly, and he shakes his head.

"Grandma had it shipped yesterday for us, it got here right after I got the phone call." He gently tugs the strings off of it, opening it slowly. Inside are two pokeball's, both with letters attached, with our names.

I take mine, and head out to the balcony to read it.

It reads;

My Pumpkin,

First of all, I love you with ALL of my heart, never forget that. It seems the cancer has creeped up on me again, but this time it's making its last call. In the pokeball is a gift, something to remember me by. I know you'll treat her with the respect and care she deserves. You are such a strong boy, pumpkin, and I want you to know that no matter how far you travel or how long your away from family, me and grandpa will always be watching and cheering. And remember, this is by no means goodbye. I will always be with you to provide strength and guidance. Good luck in Unova, honey! Love you!

Grandma Tottie.

It's signed with a heart at the end.

I stare in silence for a moment, before grabbing the pokeball.

I recognize it the moment I touch it, and I start to sob again.

Gently, I release Harriot, Grandma's Rapidash.

She lands gently, but the tears are already unstoppable at that point, and as I grab and hold her, we sob into each other.

I don't know how long we sat out there, on the balcony, but the sun is well above us by the time Matthew comes out.

"Hey." He says quietly, and I hug him close.

"I'm sorry, Matt... I... Won't be coming today..." I sob, but he just chuckles and hugs me back.

"We postponed it ." He says quietly, and I notice Rayna and Nareen, both with Kai.

"Isn't she a beauty..." Matthew whistles at Harriot, who whinnies her thanks.

"She was... was... Grandmas..." I sniffle, wiping my tears.

"She's gorgeous, and look at her flanks! She was raised by an amazing trainer." Rayna says from the door, hugging me tightly.

"I'm so sorry babe." She whispers, and I nod, kissing her hair.

"I need... I need to shower." I whisper, and Rayna nods, leading me into the bathroom.

She gives me a sad smile, before closing the door.

I break down.

N comes in, after what feels like hours but I'm sure were only a few minutes.

I'm sitting in the shower stall, not even bothering to take my clothes off, and I let the water run over me.

"Oh, babe..." He sighs, stripping to his underwear, and helping me stand.

Slowly, and very gently, he takes my clothes off, tossing them to the far corner of the bathroom, then he sits against the shower wall, holding me between his legs as I sob.

"It's okay... It's okay..." He whispers soothingly into my ear, but nothing can stop this feeling of the entire world collapsing around me.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I wake up in my bed, N holding me close as he sleeps.

I notice Harriot, her flames extinguished for the night, sleeping with Cleo, Effie, Apo, and Belle, in the far corner of the room.

Before I can do anything, I fall asleep again.

"How's he been?" A voice whispers, and I recognize it, but can't picture who it is.

"He's in rough shape. He hasn't said a word since the shower, and he's been sleeping since noon yesterday." Another voice replies, and this one I know.

N.

Slowly, I open my eyes, and see Mom.

"Hey baby." She whispers, sitting down beside me, and kissing my forehead.

N is still beside me, under the covers, as I can feel his warmth on my back.

"Hey." I croak, my voice hoarse from all the crying.

"How are you feeling?" She asks, gently pushing my hair out of my face.

"Fine. How's Dad?" I ask carefully, but she shakes her head.

"Not good. He's in Kanto still, dealing with the estate and whatnot. It was all left to him. Except Harriot and Farore, I see." She smiles, gesturing to the Rapidash and Nidoqueen behind her.

"So, Kai got Farore?" I ask, and she nods.

"Good, he always liked her." I whisper, slowly sitting up.

"Hey, babe, there is no need to rush. We can stay here if you want?" N asks, gently pulling me back down, and Mom nods.

"No rush at all, honey. Grieving needs to be done at your own pace." She puts in, and N nods.

"I'm not rushing, but I'm sure Grandma wouldn't have wanted me to cry and stay home for a week." I sigh, slowly standing up.

"Are you sure?" N asks, and Mom helps me to the bathroom. I notice my pile of sopping wet clothes in the corner and cringe.

"I'm sure. I have some advanced training ahead of me for today, and I have to see how Apophis and Harriot fit into my team." I smile, closing the door.

"He's a trainer at heart, that boy..." Mom chuckles, and N nods.

"That he is. He's... amazing." N shakes his head, his face a stupid grin.

"That is also true. Now, I understand this is your castle, but would you mind putting some clothes on?" I hear N gasp, before taking off into the closet, and I laugh.

I shower quickly, then get changed and head to Matthew's room.


	23. Chapter 22

"Wait, so WHERE are we going?" Prim asks again, and Matthew laughs.

"I was able to sweet talk N into letting us go out of region to train, but only to Sinnoh, since it's so close." Matthew explains, and Prim claps.

"Yay! I miss the pokemon there!"

We load onto the jet, all of our pokemon in their balls, and it takes off.

"So, where in the region are we heading?" I ask, and he smiles again.

"I'm not sure. I just asked the pilot to take us somewhere with strong pokemon and/or trainers." He shrugs, laughing.

"Well, this oughta be fun..." Nareen sighs, and we all laugh.

We end up in a place called 'Survival Area', and are escorted to a nearby cafe.

Prim's eyes light up as it comes into view.

"Oh, you guys are in for a treat!" She giggles, hugging Princess close as we head in.

There are a few trainers scattered about, but the cafe itself seems... homely, like its been here a while.

"Primrose? Ma'Cherie?" One of the trainers, a woman with a very thick accent and wearing a beautiful purple ballgown, stands, hugging the girl tight.

"Fantina!" Prim cries, throwing herself into the hug.

"Who's that?" Rayna whispers, and Prim smiles.

"Friends, welcome to the Survival Area Battle Cafe! Here, all of the gym leaders from around the region can meet up for battles, or just to chat! This is Fantina, the ghost type Gym leader from Hearthome City!" Prim explains, and we all bow and shake her hand.

"What brings you back to Sinnoh, mon'amie?" Fantina asks, and Prim smiles.

"We have come to train. We were all chosen for the TeamRace!" Prim bursts excitedly, and Fantina laughs heartily.

"Come, cherie, we must talk, catch up, non?" She whisks Prim away, as a tall man with a shovel walks up.

"Hey everyone! Names Byron, gym leader over in Canalave. N has asked that you all be paired up with a Gym leader to train, so that's what we are going to do."

He takes out a small list, handing it to me.

"Go ahead and call out the names, in order please!" He smiles, leaning against his shovel.

"Rayna... and Candice!" I call out first, and a younger woman, wearing a parka tied around her waist with her hair in two long braids, steps up.

"Snowpoint's Gym leader, at your service!" She curtsies, before Rayna and her head out.

"Matthew and... Crasher!" A tall, bigger built man wearing only pants struts up. He's also wearing a mask.

"Hoho! Come, my boy, let us train!" They head outside.

"Nareen... you go with Gardenia!" A young woman walks up, wearing orange short'shorts and a green crop top, her oreange hair cut in a cute bob.

"Lets go hun!" They hug, then head out.

"And finally, me and... Volkner." I finish, and an older man walks up, his hair an electrifying yellow.

"Nice to meet you. Lets take this outside." We shake hands, before heading out the back door, to where there is a battle ground set up.

"How many pokemon you got?" He shouts across the field.

"Five! You?!"

"Same!"

He releases his first pokemon, a blue dolphin pokemon, with a ball of light hanging on a singular antennae on its forehead.

"Go, Lanturn!"

"Go, Effie!" I release her, and she growls in anticipation.

He gestures for me to go first.

Nodding, I point at the opposing Lanturn.

"Effie, Crunch!"

Effie flies forward, jaws unhinged and ready to crush Lanturn.

"Lanturn, dodge and use Aqua Ring!"

Lanturn swiftly dodges, causing Effie to run straight into a nearby tree, then uses Aqua Ring, summoning a thin ring of water around her to restore health.

"Ice Fang!"

Effie flies forward with unmatched speed.

"Dodge, then use ThunderShock!"

Lanturn goes to dodge, but Effie's faster, slamming her ice-coated fangs into Lanturns fin.

Lanturn screams in pain, but uses her anger as a conduit for her Thunder Shock, striking Effie from point blank range.

"Effie! Finish her with Poison Fang!"

I know that if I don't finish the battle, and soon, Lanturn will just keep healing itself.

"Spark!"

Effie sinks her fangs in deeper, releasing her deadly venom, as Lanturn shocks her again.

Dust is kicked up...

And by the time it settles, both pokemon are unconscious.

"Return!" We both shout at the same time, as we release our next pokemon.

"Go, Raichu!"

"Harriot!"

Raichu and Harriot land gracefully, both bowing in respect to each other, before taking defensive positions.

"Raichu, Extreme Speed!"

"Harriot, Flame Thrower!"

Raichu takes off with blinding speed, straight for Harriot, who jumps back and fires a torrent of white-hot flames at the Raichu.

Raichu is hit head on, but it only slows him momentarily, as he slams head first into Harriot, sending them both to the ground.

Raichu jumps back, but he has a wicked burn across his stomach, and he cringes.

Harriot stands as well, shaking the dust off of herself.

"Thunder!"

"Double Kick!"

Raichu grounds himself, summoning a large black cloud above Harriot, who takes off at a sprint for Raichu.

The huge bolt of lightning strikes just as Harriot slams her hooves into Raichu's burnt stomach.

One of them screams, but I cant tell who, as everything goes a blinding white.

When the daze wears off, I see Raichu first, lying on the ground, unconscious.

Then Harriot... who is still standing, albeit a bit wobbly.

"Harriot!" I laugh, throwing my fist up in the air ass Volkner returns his pokemon.

He sends out a Jolteon next.

"Harriot, Will-O'-Wisp!"

"Agility!"

The Will-O'-Wisp hits Jolteon, effectively burning it as it runs circles around Harriot, slowly getting faster.

"Harriot, use Flamethrower!"

"Keep it up, Jolt!"

Jolteon growls, putting on even more speed, as Harriot stands her ground, putting a Flamethrower around her like a barrier.

Out of nowhere, Harriot expands the flame circle to the perimeter of Jolteons circuit, causing it to burn even worse then it already was.

Gasping, Jolteon trips, flying head-over-heels into the back of the cafe with a terrifying crunch.

He tries to stand again, but Volkner returns him.

"Good job, kid!" He calls, releasing his next pokemon, a black lion-type pokemon, with a yellow star shaped tail and blue hind legs.

I return Harriot, knowing this will be too much for her, and release Apo.

"Okay buddy, this is your chance!" I cheer him on, and he giggles. I pray he wont get hurt.

Across the field, Volkner's cold heart warms at the sight of such a young pokemon, and he vows to let it take his Luxray out before he'll damage it.

"Luxray, use Thunder Shock!"

"Apo, use Scratch!"

Luxray charges a powerful attack, but trips at the last moment, sending it flying into the sky as Apo does minimal damage with his claws.

"Ax! Ax! Ax!" He chants, making barely a dent to Luxray's HP, but trying his hardest.

All of a sudden, Apo charges a purple energy in his mouth, letting it loose on the unsuspecting Luxray.

Luxray is thrown back into the tree from before, as Apo charges another attack.

"Dragon Rage!" Volkner laughs from across the field.

"Keep it up, Apo!" I cheer, and he nods, letting loose another beam, shoving Luxray back against the tree again, and taking massive damage.

"One more Apo, give it all you got!" I shout, and Apo screams as he lets loose a final torrent of horrifying energy, consuming Luxray and rendering him unconscious.

Volkner returns the Luxray, shaking his head in shock.

He sends out his last pokemon, a large yellow beast with two wires flicking around it.

"Electivire, use Ice Punch!" Volkner calls.

It plants a square hit right into Apo's forehead, throwing him into the building.

I go to return him, but there is a deep growling and a bright light from the dust cloud.

"No freaking way..." I scoff, as the new and improved Apophis steps out of the cloud.

"Fraxure!" He growls, dusting himself off.

"Go, Dragon Rage!" But he has other plans.

Dodging an incoming Thunder Bolt, he gets right up close and personal, slamming his fists into Electivire with shocking speed.

The wires protruding from Electivire's back grab Apo by the waist, letting loose a torrent of electricity, finally rendering him unconscious.

With great care, Electivire gently places Apo on the ground.

"Amazing job, buddy!" I return him, sending out Cleo.

"Night Slash!"

"Fire Punch!"

Cleo gets up close, taking Electivire's attack like a pro, and proceeds to give Electivire three huge gashes down it's stomach.

Electivire manages to catch Cleo's back legs with it's wires, throwing her up into the air.

I watch, almost in slow motion, as Cleo starts to fall, and Electivire summons a devastating bolt of electricity from above, slamming her into the ground.

"CLEO!" I scream, but she's already down for the count.

Sighing, I return her, and send out my last pokemon, Belle.

Volkner seems almost surprised, but attacks anyways.

"Ice Punch!"

"Belle, use Signal Beam!"

Belle is able to get her attack in first, summoning a sinister beam of light, and Electivire is finally pushed over the edge, falling to the ground.

Volkner returns him, and walks over.

"That was intense. Good job, kid." He shakes my hand, and we head back in.

After we get our pokemon healed at the nearby PokeCenter, we wait in the cafe for the rest of them.

Nareen and Gardenia get there first, Nareen having lost, but only barely.

"She had Roserade barely able to stand by the end of it!" Gardenia chuckles about her last pokemon.

"Yemming did amazing to! She learned Focus Punch!" Nareen gushes, and I hug her.

We wait a bit longer, and the rest of them finally make their way back.

"So, me and Roark were thinking..." The Veilstone gym leader, Maylene, says once we've all settled down.

"And we thought you guys might like to meet the Elite Four, of Sinnoh, since you still have time here." Roark finishes, and we all go silent.

"Maybe even... battle them?" Byron suggests, and Rayna gasps.

"That would be amazing!" Matthew gasps.

Laughing, Fantina stands.

"Then let us go, children! To the Pokemon League!" She leads us out, and we all pile into the jet, before taking off.


	24. Chapter 23

"I'll do it! Aaron, I challenge you to a pokemon battle!" Prim steps forward.

"All right! Lets get this going!" He laughs, bounding to his side.

"Two pokemon!" Prim calls, and he nods, taking out two pokeballs.

"Alright guys, while they do their thing, let us keep moving." Gardenia stations Fantina and Crasher to wait with her, and ushers us away.

"But, wait! I want to watch!" Rayna groans, and Volkner laughs.

"You can, but we wont have enough time for you to battle then." She sighs, but smiles and heads on.

"Next up here, is the beautiful Miss Bertha!" Maylene waves us in.

The room is very dry, and there is lots of sand everywhere. A high built wooden path/bridge leads us to the middle of the room, containing the battle field.

"Hello dears!" A small voice calls out, and I have to turn around to try to find the source.

"Oh dear, I'm down here!" It says, and I look down, to see Bertha.

She is quite... petite, just under about half my height, with thick locks of silver hair and a thick white coat.

I kneel down.

"I apologize, Miss Bertha. How are you today?" I ask, shaking her hand.

"I am doing swell, now that I have visitors! Volkie, what brings you to my fine establishment?" I watch as Volkner recoils at the nickname, and the other leaders giggle behind their hands.

He explains who we are and why we are here, but before anyone has the chance to volunteer, Rayna jumps forward.

"May I battle you, Bertha? It would be an honour!" Everyone recoils in shock at the sudden outburst, but Bertha chuckles and nods, stepping onto a pokemon I hadn't noticed before and whisking away to the other side of the field.

Gardenia and Maylene stay with her, as we head on.

I can feel the heat emanating from the door ahead of us, and I know what type this member is.

The door opens, and the heat hits us.

There is lava coming out of spouts on the walls, and flowing like a rive below us, in a ravine type area. We are standing on a large metal bridge that spans the entirety of the room, and there is a man about halfway through, sitting on a chair talking to... a Rapidash?

His hair is bright red, in a large afro, and he is wearing jeans and a yellow shirt, that perfectly showcases his build.

"Yo! Whats up, dudes & dudettes?" He asks, standing.

Him and Volkner embrace quickly.

Roark explains everything quickly.

"Ah! So, who is brave enough to battle me, the amazing Flint!" He pounds his chest, laughing.

"I will." Nareen steps forward before me and Matt can say anything.

"Sounds good, sweetheart. Let us begin!" They head off, as we head into the final Elite 4 room, leaving Byron and Roark.

We step in, but nothing is too exciting in this room, just a lot of floating objects and a man, who is currently floating around playing cards with a pokemon... an Alakazam.

"Visitors!" He laughs, landing beside us.

He is wearing a gorgeous red/pink suit, and his hair is a light purple, covering most of his face.

"I'll do it!" Matthew leaps forward, shaking the mans hand, and we all laugh.

After explaining our situation, Lucian very quickly agrees to battle, and Candice stays with Matthew.

Volkner waves as he leads me to the champions room, and my heart is racing.

"I'm not battling... the champion... am I?" I stutter, trying to catch my breath.

"Hey, hey! Kid, calm down! Your'e having a panic attack." He sits me down on the stairs up to the Champions room, and hands me a bottle of water.

I take it, but can't hold it steady to my mouth, I'm shaking so bad.

I've never had this kind of anxiety before, so this is quite scary.

"Listen kid, I heard about your grandmother, and I want you to know that none of us would fault you if you needed to take a break." Volkner says quietly, rubbing my arm.

"I'm... f-fine. L-lets go." I stand, a new determination flowing through me.

What would Grandma Tottie say if I gave up right now? I have the opportunity of a lifetime staring me in the face, there is no way I could ever turn it down.

We enter the final room, and my heart calms.

The room is black, with billowing lace curtains that reveal huge windows that reach from the floor to the roof.

There is a gentle breeze carrying through the room, and the distinct smell of lavender soothes my emotions, calming me right down as we head up to the main platform.

We make it up the stairs, and I see her.

Her floor-length platinum blonde hair is tied up in a ponytail, with four black hair accessories fanned out up top. She has a black jacket tied around her waist, and her shirt is a teal colour, with black shorts cropped to above her knees.

"Cynthia!" Volkner laughs, hugging her.

"Oh, Volkner! What a pleasant surprise! I was just tending to the gardens!" She dusts her hands off on her shorts, before hugging me as well.

"H-hi C-c-cynthia..." I mumble, my anxiety back full force.

"Aren't you adorable! So, what brings you to my quarters?" She asks, and Volkner explains.

"The TeamRace, eh? That's some pretty hardcore stuff." She whistles, leading us to a sitting area.

"Tea? Coffee?" She asks, and we respectfully decline.

"So, um... Miss Cynthia... I was hoping... that I could... battle you? Five on five?" I ask, and she nods, deep in thought.

"Yes... yes! That would be most delightful!" She laughs, standing and placing her jacket on the chair behind her.

"Oh! Okay!" I laugh, standing up and grabbing my first pokemon in excitement.

She leads me to my area, and heads to hers. Volkner pulls up a chair.

"Five on five?" She asks, confirming, and I nod.

She sends out her first pokemon.

Out of her pokeball, comes a long, slender pokemon with a beautiful tail and wonderful markings on its face.

"Milo!" It sings, causing my heart to jump.

"Go, Belle!" I release her, and she hops happily into place.

Cynthia gestures for me to go first.

"Belle, use Thunder!"

"Milotic, Hydro Pump!"

Belle summons a dark cloud above the opposing Milotic, calling forth a devastating bolt of electricity upon it.

But before it strikes, Milotic is able to get a Hydro Pump out, and both attacks hit at the same time.

Belle stands, the attack not having had much effect, but Milotic is a bit worse for wear.

"Miloooo!" It moans, looking weak.

"Belle, Thunder Shock!"

"Milotic, Aqua Ring and Rain Dance!"

Milotic summons a ring of water around it, and I watch as it slowly heals itself.

Belle throws a thick bolt of lightning right into the ring, disrupting it and hurting Milotic, but not quite enough to knock it out.

Milotic summons forth a handful of dark clouds, making the entire field slick with rain.

Milotic starts sliding around, as if it's on ice.

"Now, Milotic! Use Aqua Tail!"

"Belle, Thunder!"

Milotic takes off with breakneck speed towards Belle, as Belle uses the clouds from the Rain Dance to summon her attack.

I watch in slow motion as Milotic's tail slams into Belle, as Belle's attack slams Milotic to the ground, and all of a sudden there is a bright, white, light.

"No way..." I gasp, as Belle evolves.

"Amp! Ampharos!" She calls out, as the light fades, revealing her new form.

Milotic raises as well, the Aqua Ring working faster due to the rain.

"Alright, Belle! Let's finish it off with Thunder Bolt!"

"Milotic, Water Pulse!"

Belle summons a large sphere of electricity, and I realize instantly that this is her new move, Electro Ball.

The ball flies swiftly into Milotic, throwing it off the platform and into the wall.

Chuckling, Cynthia returns Milotic, grabbing another pokeball.

"Roserade, I require assistance!" She releases another pokemon I do not recognize.

"Rose." It cooe's, and I notice its voice is quite deep.

He laughs, offering a flower to Belle.

Belle giggles, leaning in to grab it.

"Belle, NO!"

"Roserade, Magical Leaf!"

From the flower that he offered to Belle, pink petals shoot out, slicing Belle as she shouts, stepping back and tripping.

I watch in horror as the petals persist until she passes out.

I return her.

"You did amazing, baby girl. I love you, and I'll see you soon." I pick out my next pokeball.

"Harriot, go!"

Harriot lands gracefully, her flames reminding me of a sunset, with hues of orange, red, and pink.

"Rapi!" She whinnies, stomping, and Roserade's eyes go wide at the new opponent.

"Harriot, Flame Charge!"

"Roserade, Acid Drench!"

Harriot wills her flames to cover every square inch of her body, making her form flit like a flame, as she charges Roserade.

He, meanwhile, spouts a large layer of acid onto Harriot.

I watch as her flames start to go out, when suddenly, they burst back ten times stronger than before, and are now blue with heat.

"DASH!" She screams, slamming full force into the unsuspecting rose pokemon.

Roserade screams as he burns from the impact, and finally succumbs to the pain, falling over.

Harriot trots back, but I notice her sides heaving. That took a lot of energy out of her.

"Garchomp!" Cynthia releases her next pokemon, a large dragon pokemon.

"Harriot, Flamethrower!"

"Garchomp, Dig!"

As Harriot throw's a huge wall of flame at the opposing dragon type pokemon, it digs a hole, disappearing, as the flames work their way over the hole.

I have an idea.

"Harriot, use flamethrower in the hole!"

"GARCHOMP GET OUT!" But its to late.

Harriot positions herself over the hole, breathing breath after breath of blue hot flames into it, and there is a wailing from somewhere in the ground.

Garchomp flies out of the first hole, slamming into Harriot, and throwing her off the platform.

I return her before she can hit the ground.

"Apo! Your turn!" I release him, and he smiles as he lands.

"WHOO! YOU GOT THIS!" I hear a cheering behind me, and turn to see Prim, Fantina, Crasher, and Aaron, all watching.

I chuckle, looking back at the battle.

I watch as Gatchomp slams into Apo. I must have missed her attack order.

Apo flies up into the air, and I have another plan.

"Dragon Rage!" I call.

"Dragon Rage as well!" Cynthia shouts.

But instead of the usual beam of draconic energy, Apo sends out a shock wave of purple energy, effectively negating Garchomp's attack, and doing massive damage.

Dragon Pulse.

I whoop, as he lands.

"Garchomp, no more games! Dragon Claw!"

"Apophis, use Dragon Pulse again!"

Garchomp shoots forward with blinding speed, but as it goes to swing, Apo does the unnexpected.

Apo chomps onto Garchomps leg.

"GAR?" Garchomp screams as he flings Apo around, but Apo is sending wave after wave of Dragon Pulse directly into Garchomps body.

Finally, is a stroke of genius, Garchomp is able to smash a Dragon Tail into Apo, but by that point they both are too tired to continue.

As Apo releases, he sends one more devastating wave of energy, rendering Garchomp unconscious, but Apo soon topples as well, the battle proving too much.

We both return our pokemon, already grabbing our second-last pokeball's.

"Togekiss!"

"Cleo!"

Cleo lands gently, purring happily to be back in battles, as Togekiss floats gingerly to the ground, bowing respectfully.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Cynthia orders, and Togekiss jumps into action.

"Night Slash!"

Cleo leaps, narrowly avoiding the beam of fairy infused energy emerging from Togekiss's mouth, and lands on top of the unsuspecting fairy type, slamming the airborne bird into the ground.

Cleo proceeds to savagely tear into Togekiss's back, before it can shake her off.

"Fairy Wind!"

"Assurance!"

Cleo jumps out of the way, but the wave of energized wind slams her into the grund, holding her down.

Out of nowhere, Cleo sends a sickening aura towards Togekiss, throwing it back.

"Dark Pulse!" I hear Matthew laugh behind me.

"Night Slash!"

"Finish her with Fleur Cannon!"

As Cleo sinks her claws into Togekiss's back, Togekiss releases a devastating shot of energy, hitting her head on.

As the dust settles, both pokemon are gasping to catch their breath, and barely able to stand.

"Cleo, return!"

"Togekiss, come back to me!"

"Effie!"

"Lucario!"

Lucario lands gracefully, stepping into a defensive position, as Effie swims quickly through the air.

"You got this!" I call, and Effie smiles back at me.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere!"

As Lucario sends a sphere of pure aural energy careening towards Effie, I feel the ring on my finger warm up.

Everything slows down as my hand stretches out in front of me of it's own volition, and my voice isn't mine as I call out.

"EFFIE, MEGA EVOLUTION!"


	25. Chapter 24

"EFFIE, MEGA-EVOLUTION!"

A sphere of energy surrounds her, and I feel her power course through me. There is a blinding pain in one of my eyes, when suddenly I can see through hers.

She emerges from the sphere, her body changed and power amplified, and she grins at me.

My next sentence comes out gravelly; "Hydro Pump."

All of a sudden, I can feel her power coursing through me as she summons the wrath of Kyogre upon Lucario, who can do nothing but stand and watch hopelessly as the tsunami engulfs him and his trainer.

PRIM

"STOP!" I scream, watching as the tsunami sweeps both Lucario and Cynthia away, and Matthew jumps forward, wrenching the boy away from the battle, as he turns around.

He lifts his hand, pointing loosely at us, before grinning.

"Don't. Touch. Me." He winks, and from his hand, a wave of water forms, throwing us back, and out of a window behind us.

Bertha grabs my arm, dragging me to safety.

"Has this boy ever used mega evolution before?" She shouts over the rushing water, and I shake my head.

"I don't think so, I've never seen him use it before today!" I cry, as we hide behind a pillar outside.

"We need to-" Berthas next words are cut off as there is maniacal laughter from inside, and the sound of a storm brewing.

"Volkner." She smiles, and we peek to see whats happening.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME?" The boy laughs, his voice deep and gravelly, and Volkner points.

"Raichu and Luxray, Thunder!"

A sickening bolt of pure electric energy flies from the heavens, striking the boy directly, and hitting Effie on the side as well.

The boy falls to a knee, but lifts his head.

"My turn." He smiles, and from his hand, a bolt of poisionous venom flies, hitting the Raichu.

"CHU!" It screams, convulsing as the deadly venom burns its fur.

Volkner returns the injured pokemon, and is surprised as Effie takes him from behind, throwing him back outside.

Before anyone can go back in, walls of ice build over the open windows, stopping anyone from entering.

"Dammit! Flint, work on those! Hippodown and I will tunnel in! Gardenia, make sure Volkner and his pokemon are okay!" Bertha barks, before releasing her huge ground hippo pokemon, and dissappearing down a hole. Aaron and Lucian enter as well, their pokemon behind them.

"Come on, kids, lets get you out of here..." Byron starts to gather us together, but Rayna shakes her head.

"This isn't him, Byron! He wouldn't do something like this! Something is terribly wrong!" She cries, and he hugs her tightly.

"I know, sweetheart. For someone who has never mega evolved a pokemon before, this is a new experience. The power input from his abnormally strong Sharpedo was too much for him to handle, so his body is releasing excess energy the best way it knows how; Violence. We realize that that isn't your friend in there, but for now, we have to hope the 4 can fix him." He turns his head, glancing at the ice walls blocking their entrance, and at Flints pokemon, who are working tirelessly trying to melt them.

There's aloud crashing from inside.

"Effie, deal with those windows." I wave my hand, but it isn't me.

My body is moving of it's own accord, leaving me sitting in the back like a co-pilot in training.

I can tell that Effie is in the same boat, by our telepathic conversation.

I'm so sorry! I don't understand!

It's okay, Effie, we will take control!

I'm sorry.

I watch in absolute horror as Effie grabs Lucario, crunching hard on his leg as it screams.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" A voice shouts behind me, and my body whips around, hands up and ready to send another lethal wave of water, when I'm thrown back.

I watch as Cynthia rides by on her Togekiss.

"Silly champion! You think your tough, don't you?" My body laughs, sending large icicles flying after her, narrowly missing her every time.

There is a loud rumbling, as something burrows out of the ground and into the air, a large pokemon with a rider on its back, and from the hole, a whole army of bug and Psychic types come out.

Effie growls, and plants herself in a corner.

Everything goes slow as every pokemon from the tunnel flies towards her, and she smirks.

I am able to catch her plan half a second before she executes it.

"NNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!" I'm able to push out, before my body takes over.

I'm Sorry.

I love you.

PRIM

I watch, from the melted window, as Effie unleashes her inner power.

Rayna screams, and Matthew throws her behind him.

I barely remember what happens next, as I cut in and out of consciousness.

Effie lights up in a bright white light.

There is an earth-rumbling explosion.

Nareen grabs me, dragging me back outside.

I finally lose consciousness.


	26. Chapter 25

"Effie was the gentlest pokemon, with the toughest appearance." Shelley starts, and there is a sob from behind me.

I don't have to look to know it was Rayna.

The sun is dreary, and there is a light rain as we stand over the grave.

Mom hugs me, tears in her eyes, but I don't feel anything.

I can't feel anything.

My entire life, my best friend, ripped from me in less than a second.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the life and career of an amazing pokemon, and friend. Best friend." She continues.

N squeezes my hand lightly, kissing my cheek as he cries.

"The circumstances were unfortunate, but... that was my fault."

"And mine." Hala pats my back.

Shelley goes to continue, but I don't hear the rest of her eulogy.

I'm thinking about the same thing that has been running through my head like a film for the past two days.

"NNNOOOOOO!"

I'm sorry.

I love you.

Effie explodes in a burst of white light, sending shrapnel and pokemon flying everywhere.

As the light dies down, I gain control of my body, and I run to where she was sitting to find...

Her.

Effie.

I sigh in relief as I hug her.

"Are you okay? Baby girl, are you okay?" My eyes go wide as I see her eyes.

They're empty, devoid of any signs of life.

"Effie? Baby girl? Effie! EFFIE?!"

I wipe a tear as Shelley finishes.

Everyone starts to turn to leave, as I kneel beside the grave.

There is a Sandshrew who is gently piling dirt on top of the exposed coffin, but he stops as I get closer, bowing and shuffling away.

"I'm... I'm so sorry... baby girl... I... I failed you..." I sob quietly, and N hugs me from behind.

"It was not your fault, babe, this isn't on you..." He whispers, and I stand, whipping around.

"Not on me?! I JUST BURIED MY ARCEUS DAMNED STARTER, AND YOUR TRYING TO TELL ME THAT IT ISNT MY FAULT? I KILLED HER, THAT WAS ON ME. SHE WAS MY FAMILY, N. She was... my..." I turn, running off, and I hear someone tell N to leave me be.

I don't know why I came straight here, but I sit, watching as the sun goes down over the horizon, my clothes still soaked through.

The island was a lot farther than I had remembered, but I guess I had help getting there the first time.

My challenge.

It seems so long ago now, years and years ago, even though it can't have been more than a full week, maybe two.

Harriot nudges my side gently, kissing my forehead as well, and I lean into her.

I have yet to let myself cry completely. I've only let it in in short bursts, so as to try to hold myself together.

I told my other Pokemon immediately after it first happened, I felt that it would be wrong to keep it from them, and there was hysteria.

Belle almost killed Rayna in a frightening display of lightning due to her emotions overwhelming her, Cleo dissapeared for almost a full day, only reappearing to join us on the flight back, then dissapearing again. Apo cried, but he didn't know her very well, being the new guy, and Harriot insists on staying by my side through this time, but hasn't shown much emotion on the matter yet.

Mom had just gotten back by the time we arrived back at the castle, and when she heard, she broke down. Completely lost herself, leaving me and Kai to get her to the bedroom. Kai has been supportive, but I can tell its pretty hard on him as well, he has insisted on keeping Delia with him at all times, not in her pokeball.

Rayna, Prim, Nareen, and Matthew are trying their best to be supportive as well, but I know for a fact that I scared them. I scared them bad.

What happened was something Shelley called a "Unstable Power Transfer," meaning that, when Effie transferred her power to me, and vice versa, it happened all at once instead of the gradual buildup through battle, effectively causing the energy shared between us to manifest into something dark, something evil.

Something that was willing to destroy Effie, if it meant killing other people/Pokemon.

The only keepsake I have from my baby girl is a necklace, the Mystic Water de-attached itself once Effie... passed away, and Marlon was able to string some of her fangs and her Sharpedoite through as well.

I have yet to remove it.

And N. Sweet, supportive, understanding N.

He was the first to greet us off the plane, and he refused to leave my side through out the entire ordeal. He slept beside me, or, well, he made sure I slept. He looks like death, as he hasn't slept at ALL in the past two days, since we got back.

And to top it all off, the TeamRace starts in two days, and I'm not prepared.

I hear the footsteps, and I barely recognize the voice behind me as it speaks;

"I hear you went through something... traumatic."

I turn my head, gesturing for whoever it is to come sit with me on the stump I'm perched on.

Harriot kisses my hair, then gallops off to where the rest of my pokemon are grieving.

"Hey kid. How's it going?" Gary sits beside me, and I just stare at him, not able to form coherent sentences.

"Don't talk, I understand. I went through the same thing a while back..." He trails off, a tear in his eye, and I start, surprised. .

"You lost... a friend?" I say, barely more than a whisper, but he nods.

"One of my best friends... and one of the first pokemon I ever caught. My... Raticate." He sighs, wiping another tear.

"Raticate?"

"Yeah. It was a friendly battle with Ash, nothing serious, but I was... stupid. I wandered too far out, got... cocky, thought I had a revive..." He trails off, and I grab him for a hug.

"It wasn't your fault." He sobs into my shoulder, and I nod, trying to hold it in.

"I shouldn't have pulled something so STUPID so early." I whisper, and he shakes his head.

"No. Don't you ever think that. You did what you thought was right in the heat of battle, NEVER apologize for being a smart trainer."

"Smart? Really? If I was so smart, Effie would be swimming with the other pokemon right now." I spit.

"Oh yeah? So your saying, that it was YOUR decision to..." He trails off, but I stand, furious.

"Oh of course! I thought, 'Hey Effie, why dont you BLOW YOURSELF UP? WOULDNT THAT BE GRAAAAAAND?!" I shout, and I feel everything from the past couple days building, building to a breaking point, but I'm not finished.

"EFFIE WAS MY CHILD, GARY. MY GOD DAMNED CHILD. SHE TRUSTED ME. SHE TRUSTED I WOULD KEEP HER SAFE, AND LOOK WHERE THAT GOT ME. LOOK. SHES SIX FEET UNDER AND I CANT EVEN CRY ABOUT IT. ALSO, I HAVE THE TEAMRACE IN LESS THAN THREE DAYS, AND MY BEST FRIEND ISNT HERE TO CELEBRATE IT WITH ME, HERE TO PERFORM. I just thought that... that I could..." I stop, sitting down, and I notice all my pokemon staring at me. Cleo is openly crying, and the rest are huddled together.

"And now they're scared of me, to. I mean, why wouldn't they be, I'm a shit trainer who lets his pokemon kill themselves." I finish, and Gary stands, and begins... clapping.

"Congratulations, you got it all out." He smiles through his sigh, and stands.

"What... are... you... talking about..." I say in laboured breaths, ready to knock this man out.

"You said what was on your mind. And your pokemon arent afraid OF you, they're afraid FOR you." He says that last part, pulls me in for a quick hug, then takes off on Pidgeot, whom I hadn't seen before just now.

I turn back to my pokemon...

And cry.

"What do you mean? This is unacceptable, you can't! Your not prepared!" N shouts, slamming his hand down on the table, and I slam mine down right beside his.

"So you'd rather me sit around, crying and moping? Effie would want this, N, and I do to. She wouldn't want me to sit around, sucking on my thumb. In fact, she's probably shaking her head at me right now."

"You are so... sooooo... ugh." He sighs, sitting back down.

"I know... but I need this. If I stay here and grieve, I wont be able to come to terms with it. This is for the best." I kiss him, then head out of his office, up to see Mom.

After crying, then falling asleep out on the island, I woke up this morning feeling... invigorated. I know I should grieve, but the last thing Effie would want is for me to pass up this opportunity because of her. She would never forgive me. I would never forgive me.

I gingerly step in, and see her on the bed. She's on the phone, with Dad i assume.

"... he never came back last night, and I'm worried. He's- Oh! Here he is! I'll see you soon!" She drops the phone in her haste to run over, and hugs me tight.

"Baby baby baby... what happened?" She holds me out, and looks confused by my smile.

"I grieved. I swam out to an island, almost an hour both ways, and slept with my pokemon out there. Then, I realized something. I realized that, if Effie were here and could see this, she would likely kill me. If i let the opportunity of a lifetime slip through my fingers... I could never forgive myself. And neither could she." She nods a few times, then hugs me tight.

"I am so proud of you." She says simply, letting me go.

"Thanks mom. I love you." I kiss her cheek, and she kisses my forehead, then I turn to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" She asks, and I smile back at her.

"I have a competition in less than two days, and I haven't trained in three!" I laugh, and her smile lights up my world as I run to the cars.


	27. Chapter 26

"A what?" I ask, and the man laughs.

"A Kricketot. It's a bug type pokemon from Sinnoh, very musically talented." My ears perk up.

"How much for her?" I ask, eyeing the man suspiciously, and he shakes his head.

"Free. She deserves a better trainer than me, someone who can take care of her." He hands me the small bug type, who croons and whistles a lovely tune.

"Thank you, I know someone who would be a perfect fit for her." I smile, shaking the mans hand, and we part ways.

The sun is going down, after a jam packed day of training with the crew. As we were heading back to the vehicle, an older man stopped me to ask if I would care for and train his beloved Kricketot, Symphony, to which I agreed.

We hop in the back seat, and the car takes off.

"Kai!" I call, heading into the bedroom.

"Here! Whats up bro?" He wheels out of our make-shift bedroom in the closet, eyebrows raised in confusion.

"I have some...one for you." His eyes go wide, but he stops, and places his hands in his lap.

"Meet... Symphony, the Kricketot." I gently place the bug type in his lap, and his eyes go wider.

"Oh... my... what... why..." He stutters, gently petting the crooning bug type.

And then something amazing happens.

Symphony looks up at Kai, and whistles a six-note register, too which Kai responds instantly with the same register.

Her eyes go wide, and she tests him.

They go back and forth, whistling and humming different patterns for almost a minute, before she giggles and kisses his cheek.

"Symphony, eh? I think we'll call you... Sym!" He laughs, and she nods, whistling away to herself.

"Where did you get her?" He asks, and I explain the situation.

"Thank you!" He hugs me, then calls Delia over from where she was napping.

As he introduces them to each other, I hear a knock on the door.

Rayna smiles at me when I open it.

"Hey." She says quietly, hugging me.

"Hey Ray, whats up?"

"We were wondering if you would... want to come out for one last dinner before we head out." Hey eyes tell me she's not telling me the whole truth, but I agree anyways. I get changed, and we head out.

We enter the restaraunt, and I see Matthew and Nareen are already here.

We sit down, and order drinks.

"So..." Nareen starts, and I stop her.

"Let me go first, Nar. First of all, I would like to apologize," I start, and everyone's eyes go wide, "I scared you guys, and I tried something that was way out of my comfort zone and it didn't work."

"Hey..." Matthew starts, but I stop him.

"I understand if you guys want to end the pact, or keep it between you three. I would accept that, hell, I'd expect that."

Rayna slaps me. HARD.

"You stupid ASSHOLE." She growls, and now it's my turn to look confused.

"What?" I stutter, and she slams her hand on the table.

"Of course we don't want to end the pact! We LOVE you, no matter what. Unconditional. You made a mistake, and we understand that. We called you here tonight cause we have something for you." She sighs, handing me a pokeball.

"What... Who's is this?" I ask, and Nareen laughs.

"My mom sent it over for you, said to feel better, and that shes terribly sorry." I hug her, then tap the center of the ball.

The small pokemon pops out, falling flat on it's face.

"Medi." It stands shakily, brushing itself off, then sits, crossing it's legs, and begins to float.

"What..." I start, and Matthew answers.

"She's a Meditite, a Psychic Fighting type from Sinnoh. She's only a few months old."

"Hey sweetheart..." I put my hand out, and she politely shakes it.

Hello.

My eyes must have gone wide, cause Rayna laughs.

"They are telepaths." She explains, and I nod.

"Do you have a name?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

Our mothers do not name us, generally an elder would provide one for us.

"Okay... Am I ALLOWED to name you?"

Yes. In fact, I would prefer it over the usual Wind-Breaker, or Tide-Chaser.

"He... She?" I ask, and it laughs.

He. I am male.

"Male... okay... where do you hail from?"

I trained for a brief time under a monk, back in the region of Kanto, but I was hatched in Sinnoh.

"So we need... a cool monk name..." I take a sip of the drink that has been placed in front of me, when it hits me.

"What about... Mannix?"

He stares at me for a few seconds, a mystified look in his eye, before nodding.

Mannix would do well. I approve.

I hug him across the table, and everyone cheers.

That night, I'm laying in bed chatting away with Manny, when something hits me.

Master? You seem, upset? Did I do something?

Manny stands, bowing an apology, and I hug him.

"It's not you, bud. Your perfect. It's just... We have a big competition tomorrow... and... I have a friend who... won't be able to make it. She was so excited." I say quietly, and he nods.

I assume by this you mean Persephone?

I nod, and he floats a foot off the bed in a cross legged position.

I never met her, but I can tell you that shes with you.

I turn to him, my eyes wide.

"What? What do you mean?"

I apologize Master, let me explain. I can sense a great deal of her power, coming directly from you.

"You... can?"

Yes, she left her essence behind, her... soul. It sticks to you, providing power in times of need.

"That... that means..." I start to sit up, but he shakes his head.

She is no longer roaming the realm of the living, she just left... a souvenir. Something to remember her by, and I believe it's in that necklace.

He points to the necklace on my bedside table, mabe of the Mystic Water Effie had on, and some of her fangs. Even the Sharpedoite is on it.

"Well... hopefully that'll help." He nods, then floats over to where everyone is asleep in the main room.

Good night, Master. I will guard you.

Without another word, he dissappears in a blip.

I roll over, everything playing through my head like a movie again, when a thought hits me.

What if... I could... summon Effies power?

What if, she left it to me using the Sharpedoite, as it connected our souls.

This and more play through my head as I roll over, and see Kai.

He's asleep, but Sym is still twittering away, playing small tunes with her antennae.

"You don't know Sing, by any chance?" I ask, gently petting her, and she frowns and shakes her head.

Then, a bright smile breaks across her face as she runs out to the patio.

"What the..." She quickly waddles back, holding a rose petal from Mom's flowers outside.

She holds it up, as if asking me if it's okay.

"Yeah, go ahead..." I sit up, leaning against the wall behind me, as she places it in front of her mouth.

Theres a quick inhale of breath... and she begins to play.

A high pitched whistling melody, not too loud, rings out across the room, and I instantly start to nod off.

I lay back down, and she smiles form behind the petal.

As the last note rings out, I fall into a deep sleep.


	28. Chapter 27

I finish lap three, all five of my pokemon not far behind.

"Sorry guys, but I thought that this would prepare us for today." I pant, and they all nod and wave me off.

This is a regular morning routine for you and your team, Master?

"More or less..." I pant, patting his head as I gulp my water bottle.

Well I'll be... I think I'll like it here.

He has a grin on his face, as he practices honing his Psychic powers by lifting things. I watch in awe as the nearby chauffeur car is lifted a good foot off the ground, then up and down repeatedly, almost like repetitions.

"Babe!" N strolls out of the castle, handing me a towel.

"Thanks." I kiss him, then begin towelling myself off.

"You ready for today?" He asks, and I nod.

"It's going to suck, her not being here. She worked so hard for it, which is exactly why she would want me to do it." He nods, handing me another bottle of water, which I graciously take, and pass to Manny.

"Who's this little guy?" N bends down, shaking Mannys hand.

My name is Mannix, as per Master. He bows, his forehead nearly touching the floor.

"Well, nice to meet you, Mannix!" N bows as well.

Mannix's face lights up from the display of respect, and he floats happily into the air.

"Nareen got him for me." He nods, kissing me again.

"Whats the plan?" I ask quietly, and he nods.

"Meet me and the other leaders and participants out here, half an hour." My eyes go wide.

"Half an hour? What do I need to pack?" I ask, and he laughs.

"Prim's already packed for everyone." He kisses me again, then walks off, as I shake my head.

What does that mean?

I laugh to myself, as I head back up to the room.

"Dad?!" I hug him, and he chuckles.

"Hey buddy! Glad I could make it before your left!" He laughs.

"When did you get back?" I ask, and he steps back.

"About ten minutes ago. But before you leave, I have something for you." He holds out a small box.

"Whats that?" I ask, taking it gingerly, and he smiles.

"A gift... from Grandpa." My eyes go wide. Grandpa has been dead for almost as long as I've been alive.

"Grandpa? But..." I open the box, and there's a single ultra ball, with my name carved in beautiful cursive.

"While I was cleaning out Grandma Tottie's apartment, that was under her bed, with this;" He hands me a sealed envelope.

I take it gently, and open it;

Dear Cole;

First off, I'm sorry. If you have obtained this letter, it means that I have passed on, and probably that Tottie has as well. We love you. You and Kai. Enclosed in this pokeball is a gift, though it could be considered a lesson. It is very kind, but can take some getting used to. It's from my home region, and I hope it has some use for you. Please do not be alarmed, as she can get a bit... entitled. But fight through it, and you'll make a friend for life. She's one of a kind.

Stay strong, this was never a goodbye, just a... see you soon.

We love you, Cole, and don't you ever forget that.

Good luck.

-Grandpa Gio

I wipe the tears that have formed in my eyes as I take the Ultra Ball.

I head out to the patio, and release it.

Mom passes out, and Dad comes pretty close, but catches her just in time, before falling on his butt.

I step back, my body pressed against the door behind me, as she turns to look at me.

Who... who are you? Wheres Trent?

I shake my head, and she sighs.

If you can't help me... wait a second.

She floats a bit closer, eyeing me expectantly, her small body glowing.

You look like him... are you... Cole?

She asks, and I nod.

Names Celeste, but you may know me better as... Celebi.

After mom wakes up, I introduce Cel to the group, who are all just as confused as me.

"How did... how did Grandpa capture you?" Kai asks, and she shrugs.

He helped me, I swore my life to him.

"How did he help you?" I ask, and she shrugs again.

Got rid of someone who was threatening my forest. Speaking of, can we go visit at somepoint? I miss it.

"Sure sure, but today I have an event. I would love it if you helped us with it!" I ask, and she turns to me with a confused expression.

I have to help you, it's part of the rules.

"That may have been the case with Grandpa, but I want you to know this; If you do not want to help me, I will NEVER force you to. You are free to leave at any time." Her eyes go wide.

But... that wasn't...

"Rules or not, I will not be running my team in anarchy." She nods a few times, as does everyone else in the room, before pointing to her pokeball.

What about that? Doesn't that mean that I have to obey you, or you could just suck me back into it?

I nod a few times, before grabbing the pokeball. She flinches, but her mouthy goes agape as she watches me push the secret release button on the inside.

A quick flash of white light, and Celeste's imprint is erased off of the ball.

"I'm serious. If you wish to continue with me, we would be honoured to have you, but it has to be your choice."

I... well... oh, Arceus.

She taps the middle button of the ball, capturing herself again.

She comes out of her own volition, and hugs me.

Thank you. This means a lot, but I will stay with you. I will battle until my last breath if it means protecting a soul as beautiful as yours.

With that, she kisses my forehead.

"Alrighty then, well, we should get going!" I hug everyone, return everyone but Cel and Manny to their pokeballs, and we head down to the courtyard.

I am the last one to arrive.

"About time! Where have you- Holy crap." Rayna stops from where she was coming over to greet me, and everyone turns.

"Everyone, meet Mannix and Celeste." I gesture to them, and Manny bows while Cel curtsies.

"Is that Celebi?" N asks, his eyes alight.

"It sure is, her name is Cel." Cel floats over, gingerly shaking N's hand.

It is a pleasure to meet everyone, I hope we can all get to know each other.

After the initial whoa moment, we all get into a large vehicle, and as it takes off, N explains whats going to happen.

"First of all, we drop you off at your specific team points. Plasma at one, Magma at one, etcetera etcetera. Then, you wait for the horn. Upon hearing it, a door will pop open. From there, it is fair game in the maze. Please note, any damage done to the maze itself is generally frowned upon, but we do understand that accidents happen. Your wardrobe and packed survival kit's are waiting for you, and are labelled accordingly, thanks to Prim for the outfits," He claps politely, and we all join in, "To win, you must steal the tokens from the opposing players, and each token you get counts as another one for you. If your only token has been stolen, you are out, and will be transported out of the maze immediately."

"Any questions?" Shelley asks, over the sound of her sloshing coffee cup.

"How many pokemon are we permitted to use?" I ask, and she smiles.

"As many as you want, up to your league permitted six."

"Mythical pokemon?" I ask, and they all look between each other.

"I mean, it's never happened so there's technically no rule on it..." Jessie says, and James nods.

"We'll allow it." N says, and the leaders all nod.

We enter an airstrip, where a huge jet is waiting for us.

We all load up, and it takes off.

"Nervous?" She asks, and I nod.

"A little, I have two new team members that I haven't battled with yet. You?" She nods.

"Very. This is all so new. Why did they have to separate us on the plane?" Prim asks, and I shake my head.

"No idea. Probably to stop us from making plans with the other teams." I wink at her, and she giggles.

"So, anyways, I heard you caught some new guys?" I change the subject, and she nods.

She releases all four of her pokemon.

First is Princess, who is now evolved into Stoutland.

"Whoa! Look how big you've gotten!" I laugh as she licks my face.

Second is Francis, the adorable, lovable Bibarel.

He hugs me, kissing my hair.

"Hey dude! You look good, have you been losing weight?" His eyes lights up and he blushes hard as he waves me off.

The next two are new to me.

"This is Krokky," She points to a large crocodile pokemon, tan and black stripes running down its body and all the way through to its tail, "And this is Helda!" The last pokemon is a small bug type, huddled in a beautiful maple leaf.

"Nice to meet you two!" I shake Krok's hand and gently pat the terrified bug type, who gently kisses my hand.

"Do they know... the plan?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"That's okay, neither do Cel or Manny." I call the fore-mentioned pokemon over, and sit them down in front of us.

"We have a pact with Rayna, Matthew, and Nareen. Once we find them, we are not to attack. We help them finish off everyone else, then settle it the old fashioned way; one on one pokemon battles." Prim explains, and they all nod.

Rayna... beautiful woman with the red hair? Cel asks, and we both nod.

Got it. Your friends will not be harmed, Master. Manny bows.

"Also, stop calling me Master. It sounds too... formal. Call me Cole." I smile, and Prim gives me a weird look.

"I rarely hear you use your name aloud, its kinda weird." I hit her arm playfully, and she giggles.

"Here's our stop." I link my arm through Prim's, and she nods as we walk out of the jet.

We got a quick view of the maze from outside, and its massive.

It's roughly the walking distance from Pallet town to Lavendar town, so a good couple days walk, in a straight line.

I sigh as we enter our beginning room, knowing that this is going to last a while.

We enter, and the door locks behind us. I scan the room, and see nothing too exciting. There are two large backpacks siting by a metal door, and two chairs. I also notice each chair has a bottle of water on it.

I grab the water, putting it directly into the backpack, which has my name on the handle.

Prim does the same, and releases Princess.

"Might as well only have one or two out at a time, why waster the energy of our entire team if we won't be seeing anyone else for a while." She explains, and I nod.

I release Cleo and Manny.

"You two are on first shift, we switch out after battles or after a few hours." They both nod, and we all sit down.

We were the last group to get dropped off, so it shouldnt be too long before-

CLICK!

The metal door swings open, revealing a long corridor.

BEGIN.

A loud voice rings out.

Gulping, we grab our bags, and head out the door.

The TeamRace has begun.


	29. Chapter 28

And man, is it boring.

We've been walking for a few hours now, corridor after corridor, and no change of scenery.

Prim absentmindedly munches on a granola bar, passing bits and pieces to Francis, while I watch Cel train Mannix on the way of the mind.

By carefully lifting this, you can actually summon its own gravitational pull, as with any object that can be lifted. Cel demonstrates buy lifting a larger rock, and soon all the rocks around it are being tugged towards it.

Interesting. What if I...

They go on, as I throw rocks ahead of us.

We round the next corner, and there is movement by the end of the corridor, a flash of blue.

"Whoa!" I put my hand out, stopping Prim, and she starts.

"What was that about?" She asks, and I point.

"Something moved. Manny, Cel, sense anyone?" I ask, but they both shake their heads.

"Wait here, I'll take these two. I'm going to see what it is." Prim nods, stepping back around the corridor.

Me, Cel, and Manny slowly start forward.

We make it to the corner without issue, and slowly look around it.

It opens into a small open arena, where a figure is standing, stock still, in the center.

I send Manny to grab Prim, and turn to Cel.

"You can't sense anything?" She shakes her head.

Either they're not currently living, or...

"Or what, Celeste?"

Or... there is a powerful dark type nearby.

Sighing quietly, I steel myself, and turn the corner.

The figure, a woman, looks up at me.

She has long, light blue hair, and is wearing a yellow crop top, white khakis, and bright yellow pumps.

I recognize her face, but I can't tell from where...

"Well hi there! About time someone found me!" She laughs, shaking my hand.

"Um... hello?" I ask, and she giggles.

"Tell your friends to come out, I'm here to test you, not hurt you." She gestures to where Prim is hiding with her pokemon, and I laugh.

After they join us, the woman bows.

"Name's Karen, member of the Johto Elite Four." She laughs, and I nod.

"I've seen you on T.V" I say, and she nods.

"Thought you might have recognized me." She pats my arm.

"So, what are we supposed to do? Defeat you?" Prim asks, but she shakes her head.

"Well first, introduce yourself, second, no. I have a test for you." She laughs at our surprised expressions.

"I'm so sorry ma'am! My name is Primrose, but you can call me Prim." Prim bows, face blushed.

"Cole, pleasure to meet you." I look around, and notice that Cel isn't anywhere to be seen.

I'm about to say something when Prim hits my leg with her bag.

Karen is leading us to the center of the arena, but Prim shakes her head.

"SHES HIDING." She mouths, and I raise my eyebrow, but nod.

"This, my good friends is a mental test. Fail, and your out of the Race for one full day, or until the last eligible team wins, whichever comes first. " My eyes go wide.

"Mental test?" Prim asks, unfazed by the consequences.

"Yes, mental test. As you may or may not know, I pride myself on the training of my Dark Types. Part of my personal training is that I put myself under the effects of Nightmare, a dark type move, to strengthen my mind, and body. Nightmare takes your worst, well, nightmares, and makes them your reality, leaving you to fend for yourself and succeed, or to fail miserably and most likely go mad. You two will be placed under a Nightmare, and you have two hours to escape. You wont remember being put there, and you already know the consequences." Her face breaks into a smirk, and Prim gasps.

"When." I ask, and Karen turns to me.

"Whenever your ready."

"Are we allowed a pokemon?" I ask, and she nods.

"One pokemon may go with you, and if they cant mend themselves into your nightmare, I have a pokemon who can do it for them." I nod.

"Where?" I ask, and two chairs rise out of the floor.

"Sit, and call your pokemon." I look around, and see a small smile behind Karen's head, floating above her shoulder.

I sit, Prim still agape at the challenge, and lean back.

"Which pokemon do you choose?" Karen asks, releasing a Gengar.

"She'll show herself when shes ready." I answer, and she shrugs.

"Suit yourself. Pokemon tend to have a harder time mending once its already taken place, just to let you know."

"She wont have a problem, trust me."

"Alrighty kid, here we go..." I close my eyes, and hear Cel's voice softly in my head.

Trust me.

I nod slighty, and feel a warmth drape over my body.

"Cole! Dinner!" Mom calls from downstairs, and I smile.

Chili night!

"Coming!" I call, throwing a shirt on. I had just been working on my treadmill.

I slide quickly down the stairs, and see I'm the last one to dinner.

"Shar!" Effie laughs, nudging my chair.

I look at Effie, my head ringing a bit when I look at her, but I write it off as the aftermath of my workout.

Next time I won't go so hard.

I sit quickly, and begin mowing down.

I pass garlic bread to Effie, who happily gobbles it down, and munch on as much Chili as I can shove into my mouth.

"How was internship day?" Mom asks, and I look up to answer, but realize Kai already is.

"It went great! I signed up for all the teams, just like Cole, and hopefully I'll get one!" His smile is contagious, and we are all smiling soon.

"You'll get one bro, they'd be stupid to not hire you!" I pat his back, and he laughs.

"I hope so." He laughs, pulling away from the table, finishes with his food.

"I'll be downstairs if anyone needs me!" He calls, and ewe all wave him off.

"I hope someone takes him." Mom sighs, and Dad pats her back gently.

"He's smart, honey. Someone will take him, and they'll love him." I nod my agreement, when there is a crashing from the stairwell.

"Shit!" I get up, running, and see his wheelchair at the top of the stairs, but Kai is gone.

I book it downstairs, and go around the final corner-

I enter the hospital room, and see Kai on the bed.

I look around, confused, but quickly shake it off.

Kai is hooked up to multiple machines, and his breathing is shallow. A doctor is standing at the end of the bed with a clipboard.

"How is he?" I ask, and the doctor shakes his head.

"If his breathing doesn't improve, he won't make it till morning." The doc pats my shoulder, and heads out.

"He's tough, just like his parents." A frail voice says behind me.

I whip around to see... Grandma Tottie.

"Grandma!" My head rings a bit when I hug her, but I ignore it, writing it off as stress.

"Hey sweetie. Just remember, he's a tough one. He's not going anywhere." She laughs, but I see the tears in her eyes.

"Where's mom and dad?" I ask, and her eyes go wide.

"Cole, please don't..."

"Grandma? Where are they?" I ask, my voice raising as I get more freaked out.

"Cole, honey, they've been dead for years. Kai has been in his coma for three." She says quietly, and my world comes crashing down.

"What? What?" I sit down, somehow not remembering but still wary of the thought.

"Cole, do you need a doctor?" A new voice asks, and Grandpa Trent (we call him Grandpa Gio cause of his maiden name, Giovanni) walks in.

"Grandpa?" The ringing in my head reaches a crescendo, as I lay eyes on him.

"Hey buddy. Sorry for all the confusion." I notice something floating behind his shoulder, but I cant quite make it out.

"Thats okay, Grandpa. I guess I... forgot..." I trail off, as the thing from behind Grandpa floats closer.

Then everything freezes.

I look around, and see Pidgey mid-flight out side the window, Grandpa's hand outstretched, but not moving forward.

Cole.

I look around, trying to find the source of the voice.

Cole, it's me, Celeste.

I shake my head.

"Get out! I don't want to talk to you! GET OUT!" I sob, punching the sides of my heads as I cry.

I close my eyes, when something light and gentle lifts my chin.

Cole, look at me.

I shake my head, the tears rolling freely down my cheeks, and it speaks again.

Cole, this isn't real.

"GO AWAY!" I screech, opening my eyes to push away, when I see her.

Her bright, blue eyes are soft, gentle, but speak the words of many wars. I see pain, sadness, along with happiness and sunshine, and her skin a light green. Her wings flutter softly behind her, barely audible but heard as a light humming. Her face is set in a smile, and she giggles as everything comes rushing back to me.

I gasp as I wake up, gulping for air, as a hand pushes my back down.

"Whoa whoa, not so fast there bud!" Karen laughs, holding me down as I catch my breath.

"How long?" I gasp, and her head tilts in confusion.

"How long was I out?" I ask, finally catching my breath, and she nods.

"Hour forty five." I nod, and see Prim is still asleep.

"What pokemon helped you? I saw a flash as they jumped in, but I didn't catch which pokemon it was." She asks, and I point to Cel, who is floating gently behind Karen.

Karen turns, then shouts as she jumps back.

"Celebi!" She gasps, bowing slightly.

"Her name is Celeste, but I call her Cel." I explain, and before Karen can say anything else, Prim screams as she wakes up.

"Whoa!" I jump over, hugging her tight as she sobs, trying to catch her breath.

"How long?" She cries, and I smile.

"Hour forty five." She smiles slightly, but holds onto me as she sobs.

"I'm so sorry, you two. I know personally how terrifying it is in there..." Karen apologizes, but I wave her off.

"What pokemon helped you?" I ask, and she points to Cel.

I was able to pull you both back.

"Thank you, Cel." She nods, dissappearing again.

"You two get these for passing, and now you are able to proceed-" I grab the two bags shes handing to us, and we take off.

"Thanks, Karen. Nice meeting you." I wave behind me as we walk away.

The sun has gone down, and Cel has summoned a little shelter out of roots and plants for us for the night, complete with beds and everything. We are just washing up, with help from Francis, and getting ready for bed.

"How are you?" I ask, as we haven't spoken since Karen, which was a few hours ago.

She shakes her head, smiling apologetically and rolls over to sleep.

I roll over to, and Cel is resting beside me.

Are YOU okay?

"I'm fine." I say abruptly, then realize how tense I am.

"Sorry. Thanks for the help." I kiss her forehead, and she smiles.

That was a dirty trick. Gengar looked for your worst nightmares, and I hated watching him.

"I know. Is Prim okay?"

Her nightmare was... hellish, to say the least. It's not within my abilities to tell you at the moment, but... giver her some distance.

I nod, smiling.

"Well, time for bed." She nods.

I will keep both of your dreams safe, and good.

I nod again, thanking her, then close my eyes.


	30. Chapter 29

I wake to the gentle kiss of the morning sun, which has just risen over the walls of the maze.

I sit up, and see Prim is still asleep. I round up my pokemon, change into some shorts, and we go for a run.

"Cel and Manny, keep track of where we are so we dont get lost." They nod, Cel staying with Prim and Manny coming with us, a mental pinpoint on each end.

We run.

We run around a few corners, but try to stay as close as possible to Prim and the others.

We round another corner, and come face to face with another person.

"Ah!" They shout, falling back, and I rush forwards to catch them.

"You okay?" I ask, and the girl smiles.

"Yeah, thanks. You?"

"Yeah. Who are you?" I ask, stepping back, holding my pinnie protectively.

I notice she has one as well, with the markings of Team Aqua.

"Sam, Aqua. You?"

"Cole, Plasma." She laughs at my defensive stance.

"I'm not here to mug you... yet." She laughs as I relax.

"Where is your partner?" I ask, and she sighs.

"Harry? Idiot got caught ten minutes in by a wild Zoroark. I was able to fend it off, but my pokemon are pretty damaged." She sighs, pointing to her two pokeballs.

"I can help with that, if we call a temporary truce." She shakes my hand, and we head back to Cel's shelter.

I keep my hand tight around my pinnie the entire walk.

"Cole? There you are, Cel said that-" Her voice cuts off as she sees the girl.

"Calm, she's here as a friend." I raise my hands defensively, and her tension slowly fades away.

"My pokemon are pretty beaten up from a wild encounter..." Sam explains, and Prim nods.

She hands me both pokeballs, and I place them by Cel.

"Think you can handle that?" She giggles, grabbing the balls and disappearing.

"Was that..." I nod, and Sam shakes her head.

"Thats hardcore." She laughs, and I laugh with her.

"So, other than Celebi, what other pokemon did you guys choose? I brought my Sharpedo and Tropius." She asks, and I tense up.

Prim catches my tension, and quickly interjects.

"Celebi is his, as well as Manny here-" She pets the floating fighting type, "-and my two are Francis and Helda." She points to where her two pokemon are just waking up.

"Celebi, huh? How'd you catch her?" She asks, and I shake my head.

"I didn't, my grandfather did. And it wasn't a traditional catch, they... helped each other. She swore her life to protecting him, and when he died, me." She nods.

Cel blips back, handing the two pokeballs back to the girl.

"Well, good luck!" She shakes our hands, before starting to head off.

"Careful that way, theres an Elite Four member from Johto, and... just don't run into her." Prim warns, and Sam nods.

"Same that way, Sinnoh Elite Four. Fire type. Thanks for the warning!" She waves as she heads around the next corner.

"Flint." Prim gasps, and I nod.

"Lets go."

It's relatively easy to find him, as we just have to follow the heat.

We enter the small arena, and he smiles, waving us over.

"Long time no see, my dudes!" He laughs, shaking our hands.

"Flint! Good to see you." Prim smiles.

"So, I'll cut to the chase. This is a endurance test." He starts, and I flinch.

"With help only from one of your pokemon, you have to endure a Burn Status effect, for three minutes. Now, it's not a full on Burn, we wouldnt want to hurt you. It's a simulation of what a pokemon goes through during the effect." I sit on the nearby chair.

"Manny, your up for this one?"

Gladly, Master- I mean, Cole.

He bows, and take my hand.

"Let me know if I squeeze to hard, okay?" I gently pat his head, and he nods, summoning the power of a Meditate to hone his power while I begin.

"Oh wow. That was fast. Alright, here we go..." He hums a song as he hooks me up to an IV drip, and leans back.

"I'm sorry." He whispers, then flicks his switch.

"MANNY IM SORRY!" I screech, but he shakes his head, and holds on to me, his face a grimace.

The pain started off small, more annoying than anything, but quickly grew into the blinding rage it is now, and I can do nothing but shout and whimper.

The pain is now coming in waves, and as it slowly ebbs out, I peek over at Prim, who's face is pure white as she awaits her turn.

"It's not-GAH-that bad-Holy SHIT!" I gasp as a rogue shot of pain flies through my body.

"Oh yeah, thanks." She says sarcastically, grimacing as Flint finally takes the IV out.

"Three minutes. Good job, Cole. Come on over Prim." I gesture for Cel to join her, and she smiles and nods, blipping beside her.

"Whoa!" Flint falls backwards off his chair, his Houndoom catching him before he hits the ground.

"She's mine." I point out, and Flint chuckles as he shakes his head.

"You kids never cease to amaze me." He carefully hooks Prim up, and Cel takes her hand.

He flicks the switch, and Prim's face contorts in pain.

Francis grabs me, mumbling unhappily, and sniffling as he watches his trainer in pain, and Pikki squawks.

I watch as Cel takes Prim's hand, whispers something, and Prim's face relaxes.

Flint looks at the screen beside him, his face etched in confusion, and soon he is taking the I.V out of Prims arm, and she just sighs in happiness.

"What was THAT?" I ask, as we grab our bags and say our goodbyes, heading out.

"Heal Bell. She took me away from the pain, into a wonderful field with my pokemon." Prim sighs again, and I look up at Cel.

"Well THAT would have been nice to know!" She giggles, blipping away.

We head out, the morning sun shining behind us as we walk.

The next encounter isn't so nice.

We round yet another corner, and come face to face with...

"Zoroark!" Prim screeches, throwing me behind her.

Manny jumps in front of her, hands at the ready, and Zoroark attacks.

It slashes it's claws towards Manny, who deflects them and lands a solid punch to the muzzle.

"ZO!" Zoroark growls, flipping backwards, and directly into Pikki.

"Sew!" Helda sends a vicious Razor Leaf, slamming into Zoroark's back and throwing it back into Manny, who lands a Focus Punch with a solid THUMP.

Cel blips in, grabbing Zoroark and blipping away again, before appearing two seconds later and dropping the unconscious pokemon to the ground.

"Holy..." I gasp, finally picking myself up off the ground.

"You okay?" Prim asks, and I nod.

Um... Master...

I turn to Manny, who's hand is a little bruised.

"Oh, sorry Manny! Cel, would you mind...?"

Of course not, Cole. Allow me...

No, Mas-Cole! Look!

Manny takes a small piece of fabric out from behind him...

A pinnie.


	31. Chapter 30

Me and Prim both instinctively reach for ours, and...

Both still have them.

I take the pinnie from the confused fighting type, and read the insignia...

Aqua.

We both breathe a sigh of relief.

"That was too close. We need to be more prepared." Prim sighs, and I nod.

"Agreed. Cel, would you and Manny be able to scout for us?" They both nod, and blip out.

We grab our bags from where wee dropped them, and keep going.

Master! Master!

Manny flies around the corner in front of us, and stops ahead, trying to catch his breath.

"Manny! Whats up?" I hand him my water bottle, which he quickly drains. Francis fills it again, and he drains that one as well.

Trainer... ahead... Rayna...

He gasps, but I sit him down.

"Close?"

Two corners and fifty feet. I think she saw me.

"Thats okay. Jump up onto my shoulders, you deserve a rest." He hops up, using telekinesis to keep himself comfortable, and we start jogging.

Cel is waiting behind the second corner, and she smiles.

It is Rayna.

"Thank you, Cel." I kiss her forehead, and walk around the corner.

"Whoa!" Rayna starts to fall backwards, but I catch her just in time.

"Fancy meeting you here!" I laugh as it takes her a moment to realize who I am, then she hugs me.

"Cole! I was so scared! Nareen and I..." She trails off, but I nod.

"Nareen's out already?" I ask, but she shrugs.

"I don't know, we got attacked by a Salamance, I think it was at least, and we got separated. Both our team mates are out, though." I nod, as we sit.

Prim hugs her too, and grabs a small pot out of her bag, beginning to boil water.

The sun is starting to go down as we eat, and Cel summons us a shelter.

"Thank you, Cel. Have a good night." I kiss her hand, and she bows deeply.

Of course, Cole. I will watch over you.

With that, she quickly blips away.

"So, how has it gone with you? How many trials have you guys undergone?" Rayna asks, and Prim tilts her head in confusion.

"Trials?"

"Yeah, the gym leaders and Elite Four scattered around? I've only had to deal with this one woman, Karen, I think her name was..." She trails off, and Prim scoots a bit closer.

"Karen's test was horrible. We have had two, Flint and Karen." Rayna nods.

"Tomorrow, we are going to try to find Nareen, if she's still around." I decide, and they both nod.

After a few minutes of idle chat, we all roll over, and quickly fall asleep.

"COLE!"

"WAKE UP!"

I can barely hear the voices over the loud rumbling outside the shelter.

I sit up quickly, and both girls are beside me, eyes wide.

"What?" I shout, and they point out.

I turn...

The maze.

It's... moving!

"CEL, GROUND US!" Cel appears, and strengthens the gravity around us so we dont get thrown around.

Walls are sliding, and appearing around us, and everything is moving.

"WHATS HAPPENING?" Rayna cries, and I shake my head.

"WE RIDE IT OUT, FIND OUT MORE AFTER." Prim says, and I nod.

Rayna sends Pikki out, and she flies quickly up.

"RECON." She explains at my confused look, and I nod.

The rumbling soon stops, and Pikki flies into our tattered shelter.

She say's something to Manny, who translates;

The maze is now... a different maze.

His face is confused, but I nod.

"You guys stay here, Cel and Manny come with me." The girls nod, and begin cleaning up the aftermath.

I head out, both Psychic types following close behind, and gasp.

We were situated in a corridor before, but now I am standing in the middle of a large arena, with four doors around the edges.

The girls come out, all of our stuff in bags and ready to go, and gasp.

"Well, let's not waste any time. We need to find Nareen." They nod, and we set off.

The entire maze now is a series of conjoined rooms, all with four doors, and no roof.

We enter yet another room, and find someone standing in the middle.

Rayna giggles, and flies in for a hug.

It is a man, with extremely tan skin, a chiseled face and abdomen, and fiery red hair in the front, but darker brown in the back.

He is not wearing a shirt, but his shorts are bright red and he is wearing sandals.

"Hello challengers!" He laughs, hugging Rayna.

"Kiawe! How are you?" She laughs as he fixes his hair.

"Good, darling. Good. Now, lets cut to the chase. My challenge is a remembrance test." He releases three pokemon, all Alolan Marowak.

"I love this!" Rayna pulls us over to where two chairs are, and a third one magically appears.

"Tell me what differences you find between the dances..."

"Wow! You kids are the first ones to pass my test! The first two kids failed miserably, and had to wait a day."

Prim lets her hair down from where it was tied.

"Here are your rewards-" He hands us each a small bag, "-and do you have any questions?" He smiles, and I feel my legs turn to jelly.

"You single? Asking for a friend." Prim asks nonchalantly, running her fingers through her hair, and Rayna chokes.

"Yes, happily single at the moment. Waiting for the right... person." He pauses, choosing his last word carefully, and Rayna flashes me a smile.

"Well, we'd better get going! Thanks, Mr. Kiawe!" I grab the girls, who are both giggling away, and drag them away.

Rayna suddenly stops, and runs back, returning in a few moments.

"Nareen passed through here yesterday, and failed! She must be nearby!" We nod, and set into a healthy jog for the next room.

Before we enter, there is a loud crash from inside.

Rayna turns to me, her eyes wide, as she throws the door open.

Inside the room, Nareen is being held by... the two Galactic members, Ram and Wendy.

"Let me go!" Nareen shouts, her hands tied behind her back.

"Not yet, you could be useful..." Ram laughs, his voice gruff.

None of them have seen us in the shadows, so we quietly sneak off to the side, as they grab Nareen and push her forward, and into the next room.

"We have to help her, before they take her pinnie!" Rayna whispers, and Prim shushes us, handing me her bag and pokeballs.

She takes her shoes off, and motions for us to hide.

We enter the next room, and me and Rayna duck into the nearest shadow, as Prim makes her way into the middle of the room, where the other three are.

"Excuse me?" Prim asks, her voice rough, as if she'd been crying.

All three contestants whip around, both Galactic's have their hands on their pokeballs.

"Wait! I'm Primrose, from Plasma? A wild... a wild Zoroark took all my stuf... you wouldn't happen to have any food, would you?" Prim sniffles, and Wendy's face softens.

"We barely made it out of that battle, to. Here, have some-" She's cut off as Nareen's foot slams her in the neck, throwing her to the ground.

"Go, Ramp-" Ram is cut off as Prim lands on top of him, dragging him to the ground as well, and pinning him there.

Me and Rayna run forward, as both Nareen and Prim relieve their victims of their pinnies.

"Nice try, Galactic. Better luck next time." Nar flashes them a smile and grabs two pokeballs from one of their bags, as they sulk away, off to the nearest gymleader/E4 member.

We cut the ropes holding her hands in place, and she hugs us.

"I'm so happy you guys are okay!" She cries, as we hand her a sandwich and some water, which she happily takes.

Before anyone can react, four small packages float down from above, their mini parachutes have names embroidered in them...

Our names?

"Here, Cole." Rayna hands me mine, the smallest of the four, and I wait until everyone else has theirs before opening it.

Inside is a...

Mega Stone?

I almost choke as I throw it away, watching as it bounces merrily into the nearest wall.

Manny appears, grabbing it and bringing it back.

I look to see if there is anything else, and there is... a note.

I open it carefully;

Hey.

This is an Ampharosite. I know you'll be reluctant to use it, but please, Cole- don't let your fear overcome you. I just want you to know...

I love you.

-N

I wipe a tear from my eye, and look around.

"Full Restores! Yes!" Nareen giggles, placing the new medicine in her backpack.

"Ah! A knitting kit!" Prim laughs, already setting in to making something.

Rayna opens her package last, and we all wait to see what it is, but her expression is... confused.

"What..." She lifts out the item inside and it's...

It's a...

"Is that even allowed?"

"Wait, who, what, why?"

"Why are there so many?"


	32. Chapter 31

"They all have names on them." She says, looking around, and handing them out accordingly.

All four of the pokeballs are different.

Nareen's has a small pink heart on the lid, and is overall pink on the top.

Rayna's is a light grey, with dark blue mounds over the top, and looks quite heavy.

Prim's is pure white, with a red line in the middle and around the white button to open it.

Mine is a dive ball, all hues of blue mixing to create the the illusion of water.

We all look at each other, as Rayna lifts a note from the package and reads aloud;

Congrats on getting this far guys! We are so proud to be your mentors! Enclosed are some gifts from us, a blast from the past! Each was chosen by your FAMILY, to match your battle style and fluidity. Make sure to keep an eye out, cause it only gets harder from here! Keep it up teams!

Your favorite big sister,

Plumeria.

Rayna laughs, setting the note down, and turns to us.

"Who wants to go first? We have some time to waste." She asks, and Prim raises her hand.

She holds the white ball out, and opens it.

In a flash of red energy and light, a small pokemon pops out gently in front of her, swaying slightly.

"Now I get the 'blast from the past' part!" I laugh, as Lileep gently bows in front of Prim.

"Well hi there!" Prim giggles, gently lifting the fossil pokemon and kissing it's head, concocting a small eep of laughter from it.

"I'll go next..." Nareen releases her pokemon...

Kabuto clicks happily, bowing as Lileep did before hugging Nareen's leg.

"Hello!" She lifts it, and it clicks happily, settling atop her head.

Rayna releases hers next, the pokeball thudding loudly on the ground, as a Shieldon emerges.

It clanks, gently ramming Rayna's foot in excitement, as she struggles to lift it.

"A... girl! Hey baby girl!" Ranya strains, kissing the pokemon's head gently, as it licks her face.

They all turn to me, and I release mine last...

Tirtouga floats gingerly an inch or so above the ground, and she looks up at me, her eyes wide in awe.

"Hello..." I put my hand out, and she carefully sniffs it, before bowing, and launching into my arms, gently pecking/kissing my face.

"What a sweetheart!" Rayna gently pets Tirtouga's shell, as Shieldon comes over to greet me.

"Wait! There's something else!" Prim points to Rayna's box, and sure enough, there are four small boxes.

She hands them out, and we open them to reveal...

PokeTranslators!

"Holy crap! These are expensive!" Nareen quickly puts hers in, and looks at Kabuto.

Kabuto clicks a few times, and Nareen's eyes fill with tears.

I clip mine in.

"What is that?" A small voice asks from in front of me, and I turn to see Tirtouga, looking at the translator with curious eyes.

"I can understand you...?" It's more of a question, but Tirtouga smiles, giggling happily.

"Yay! Yay! He understands me!"

"Calm down, you silly amphibian." Kabuto clicks, and Nareen gently taps it.

"That wasn't nice!" She scolds, and Kabuto quickly apologizes.

"How old are you guys?" Prim asks, and they all chorus that they just hatched, mere days ago.

We grab all our stuff, and start walking as we chat with our pokemon.

"So, know any moves?" I ask, and Tirtouga looks thoughtful before answering.

"Only a few. I know Water Gun... and... I can do this!" With that, she quickly pulls all her appendages and head into her shell.

"Withdraw! Not bad!" I tickle her gently as she comes out again, and she giggles away.

Cel blips in beside me, and Tirtouga smiles and waves.

"Hi! Are you a friend?" Cel nods, and Tirtouga giggles.

"Whats up, Cel?" I ask, and she sits gently on my shoulder.

If you and our new friend are interested, I know Rain Dance and Ancient Power. I believe she is capable of both, and I am willing to train her.

Before I can answer, Tirtouga nods and laughs.

"Oh, can I please? It seems like so much fun!" She looks up at me with pleading eyes, and I sigh.

"Just remember to be careful... and hey, while your teaching ancient power..."

In less than a minute, all four fossil pokemon are a ways behind us, Celeste teaching them the basics of the rock attack.

"That was sure nice of her, to do that for us." Nareen points out, and we all nod.

"Cel is an amazing pokemon, and her heart is in the right place." I say, and I notice Cel wink at me quickly.

"So, whats next?" Rayna asks, and we all shrug.

"Hopefully not another-" As Prim swings open yet another door, there's a booming laugh from the next room.

"-gym leader." She sighs, having jinxed us, and we head in.

"Names Chuck, from Cianwood! How's it going, kids?" We all shake his ginormous hand and assure him we are doing great.

"This is an easy one..." We all sigh, but his eyes flash a dangerous glint.

"All you have to do... is stand under a waterfall! For two minutes!" We look around, and I notice that, while there is no waterfall present, one can be heard from not to far away.

He leads us through a trap door in the floor, and down a large, winding flight of stairs, into a room where a mighty waterfall is rushing into a grated floor.

"Only rules are; NO POKEMON are allowed to assist you during the test. You may use them to warm up and dry off after, but under no circumstances are you allowed to use one to boost your endurance. Second and lastly, if you lose, you are officially out of the race. We are down to the final six, meaning that it goes into sudden death mode. Any questions?"

"Who are the other two?" Nareen asks, and Chuck shrugs.

"Not sure of names, one magma and one aqua." We all look among each other.

That means Sam is still in the running, and possibly...

I strip quickly, shirt, pants, and everything else except underwear thrown onto a bench nearby.

"Me first." I say quickly, before stepping under.

The pain doesn't register till after the pressure, which almost buckles my knees. Then, the frigidness of the water kicks in, and I find myself shivering uncontrollably, as thousands of tiny needles dig into my back.

If Matt is still in the running... That means we will have our battles sooner rather than later.

In what seems like hours, but must have only been a few minutes, a large hand reaches out and pulls me out.

"Nice one, kid! You got guts! That was four minutes, meaning you not only beat the time, but set a record!" He hands me a robe and towel, which I quickly throw on.

Cel throws up a bright Sunny Day into the room, warming everyone considerably, and Rayna steps in next, wearing a bathing suit I don't quite recognize.

Shieldon mumbles unhappily as she struggles to stay standing under the intense pressure of the water fall, and I watch as she falls to her knees.

Chuck reaches in, but she bats his hand away, slowly pulling herself back up, until shes standing again, albeit a bit more wobbly.

Chuck's timer goes off, and he gently corrals her back out of the water fall.

"H-h-h-how d-d-did I d-d-do?" She stutters, shivering inconsolably, and Chuck's booming laughter rings out across the room.

"Amazing! No-one has been able to pull themselves back like that!" He laughs, and she smiles, accepting the robe and towels.

I lead her closer to Celeste, who is using Heal Bell to warm us.

Nareen goes in next, again in a bathing suit I hadn't seen her pack.

"We changed into the suits he gave us while you were in there." Rayna explains, finally warm enough to speak properly, and I nod my understanding.

Nareen's two minutes are over quickly, with only a small mishap in her almost slipping but quickly correcting herself.

Prim goes in last, but before she does, she pulls me aside.

"Cole... I..."

"You what? Are you okay?" I Ask, and she shakes her head, a tear in her eye.

"I'm not going to make it past this, Cole. Please, win this for Plasma." Before I can say anything, she throws herself under the waterfall.

"No pokemon, right?" I ask, and Chuck nods grimly, having overheard the conversation.

Without a moments thought, I throw my robe off and jump in beside Prim, hugging her and holding her close.

I can't see her face, but she instantly relaxes, and lets me take the brunt of the pressure.

I feel her body wracking with sobs as I hold her, and soon, a large hand scoops us out.

"That was risky, kid..." Chuck whispers to me, and I nod.

"No rule stated t-t-that we couldn't h-h-help each other." I point out, and he nods.

"You're not wrong." He hands prim a robe, and Cel quickly jumps over.

"W-w-why would you d-do that?" She whispers, and I kiss her forehead.

"You're family, Prim, whether you like it or not." She smiles, squeezing my hand, and soon we are all dressed.

"Alrighty, so sometime during that it dropped to the final five." Chuck starts, and we all look at each other.

"So, head straight through that door-" He points to the door in question, "-and you will all meet up. Good luck, kids." He waves as we head through the next door.

As soon as the door opens, the sound of applause almost knocks us back.

The door slams, and we look around at each other.

"What was that?" Prim asks, still shivering slightly, and Rayna's eyes light up.

"Oh! I remember! When it drops to the final five, all contestants are put in front of a live audience to finish the race!" We all nod, and return our fossil pokemon.

"Why can't I stay out and watch?" Tirtouga pouts, and I kiss her head gently.

"Because, we don't know if thats Matt or not, and the element of surprise will be yours." She smiles, nodding, before red energy claims her back into the dive ball.

"Before we go in guys... I have a question..." Nareen asks.

"Whats up?" Rayna says, and Nareen smiles.

"It's been a blast, doing this with you guys... but..." She doesn't finish her question, but we all nod.

"If it's not Matt, it just wouldn't feel right... keeping the pact..." Rayna adds, and I finish.

"Free for all, whoever wins, wins. No hard feelings?" I put my hand in the middle in a cliche team salute, and they all giggle as they do the same.

"No hard feelings." Prim echoes, and we throw our hands up.

We steel ourselves, before heading out into the crowds.

The applause is deafening, and there are five small tables in the middle of the room, but are enclosed in a tight cage around each one.

"NOW THAT EVERYONE HAS ARRIVED, THE TRUE TEAMRACE SHALL BEGIN!" A booming voice roams throughout the arena, and the applause dies down considerably.

"IN THE MIDDLE ARE FIVE TABLES, EACH TABLE HAS A NAME AND A BAG. IN THE BAGS ARE THE REST OF THE CONTESTANTS POKEMON. IF SOMEONE ELSE GRABS YOUR BAG, YOU ARE UNABLE TO USE ANY OF THE POKEMON WITHIN UNTIL THE CONTESTANT WHO TOOK YOUR BAG IS ELIMINATED. IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE RULES, PLEASE HEAD TO THE SPOT LOCATED AROUND THE ARENA WITH YOUR TEAMS INSIGNIA."

We all hug before heading around to our team's allocated spots. I look for Matt, and see someone coming around the final room, though I can't see the insignia.

I wave... and see Sam.

A wave of fury builds within me, as I realize that now I wont get to face Matt at the end.

"Cel!" She blips beside me in a second.

Cole. What can I do to help?

"We need to get Sam out, and quick. Think you can handle her?" Cel's eyes light up with a playful glint, and she blips out again.

Sam waves back, a smile on her face, as a countdown is started.

10...

I look over, and see Prim across the Plasma area from me, and we nod to each other.

9...

Rayna whistles, holding out her heavy ball, and I turn my head in confusion.

8...

Nareen's face lights up as she realizes Rayna's plan, and she soon lifts her own fossil pokemon's ball.

7...

"What are they doing?" I ask, and Prim shrugs, grabbing her own pokemon.

6...

Sighing, I grab Tirtouga's dive ball. So much for the element of surprise.

5...

I see small holes in and throughout the dirt floor of the arena, and I suddenly click into the plan, and signal Rayna, who smiles.

4...

"What? Did you figure it out?" Prim asks. I point to the holes, and her eye's light up.

3...

"They exit at the bags, inside the cage!" I call, and they all nod.

2...

"Whats happening?" Tirtouga asks, and I point to the cages. She nods quickly, getting ready to sprint.

1...

I gulp, but steel myself, and everything goes silent...

GO!


	33. Chapter 32 (Finale)

Tirtouga swiftly enters the nearest hole, as well as Shieldon, Kabuto, and Lilleep.

Cel appears beside me, holding Sam's pinnie, and a small cannon goes off.

"AND LOOK AT THAT, NOT EVEN FIVE SECONDS IN AND ONE OF THE CONTESTANTS IS ALREADY OUT! BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR, AQUA!"

I bolt in, and see Tirtouga struggling to carry my bag to me.

I also notice Lileep creeping up behind her, vines quietly slipping out and into the ground.

"JUMP!" I call, but it's too late.

She throws the bag at me as vines come up from under her, strapping her to the ground and damaging her quickly.

I snatch the bag out of the air, grabbing the first pokeball I feel.

Harriet leaps out, assessing the situation in less than a second, and she fires an Ember at the baby fossil pokemon, causing it to fly back.

I bend and snatch Tirtouga, before hopping onto Harriets back.

"Get us out of here!" I call, and she nods, cantering away from the middle.

I risk a look back, and see Nareen and Prim already in hand-to-hand combat, both trying to get one up on the other so they can grab their pinnies, and Kabuto and Lileep are fighting alongside as well. I notice that only mine and Rayna's bags are gone.

I can't see Rayna, though, which scares me a little.

"Cel!" I call, and she blips in front of me, keeping pace with Harriet.

"Take her, get her to safety." I hand the unconscious fossil pokemon to her, and she nods, blipping away.

"Alrighty, Harriet! How's a battle sound?" She winnies in excitement, adjusting her path to quickly bring us back around.

I feel a disturbance behind me before I see it, and I jump out of instinct, turning.

I see Rayna, riding Pikki, as they struggle to gain height again.

I reach into my bag, feeling for a specific pokeball, as they dive bomb me again.

I land, HARD, and roll, releasing Belle.

"THUNDER!" I call, and she quickly summons a wicked bolt of lightning, slamming it into Pikki as thy get close.

Pikki shakes herself, quickly climbing again, but I notice she's a lot slower than before.

"Here!" I throw the Ampharosite at Belle, who quickly catches it and attaches it to her forehead.

"MEGA EVLOVE!" I call, and there is a bright flash.

Dirt from the ground summons around her, forming a large sphere, and soon it disperses, dropping the new and improved Bellwether onto the ground with a gentle thud.

Her wool from her previous evolution is now formed around her in a magnificent mane, that flows behind her even though there is no wind, and there are multiple orbs throughout her wool-tail that are alight with energy and power.

Pikki swoops in, and before I can call an attack, Belle summons a large wave of purple fire, and sends it careening into the flying type.

It engulfs Pikki, and I watch in horror as Rayna falls off, and plummets to the ground.

"HARRIOT!" I barely finish my sentence, and Harriot leaps over me, and catches Rayna roughly, before she hits the ground.

She brings her around, and I quickly take her pinnie.

"Cel?" She appears, grabs Rayna, nods, and dissappears again, appearing again to quickly grab Pikki as well.

Belle flashes again, turning back to normal, and staggers.

"Sorry babe. I didn't mean to-" I'm cut off as she launches a thunderbolt at me. I quickly dodge, fearing the wors, and hear a pained grunt behind me.

I flip around, and see Francis, twitching as the effects of paralysis sink in.

"Good call!"

"I try. That felt... interesting." She passes me the mega stone again, and I return it to the bag.

I look around, and notice that Nareen and her pokemon are all gone, and Prim is healing her pokemon at the other side of the arena. She returns Francis, and heals him as well.

Two more cannon shots go off.

"Does that mean... we win?" I ask, and the PA comes on again.

"DOWN TO THE FINAL TWO ALREADY! TO DETERMINE THE WINNER, EACH OF THE REAMINING TWO CONTESTANTS MUST BATTLE A TRAINER OF THEIR MENTOR'S CHOICE. IF THEY BOTH WIN, BOTH WILL BE CROWNED VICTOR. BUT IF BOTH LOSE, THE WINNER IS DETERMINED BY OUR POINT SYSTEM. GOOD LUCK!" Two battle platforms are lifted out of the ground.

I grab all my stuff, making sure all my pokeballs are attached to my belt, and head over to the first platform.

Me and Prim both step up, and see who we are battling.

Prim's opponent is a tall young man, with short auburn hair and lots of freckles. His glasses are tilted, making him look boyishly cute, and his shirt is a red and green plaid tank top, and his shorts are blue cargo.

"ADAM!" Prim screams, sobbing as she hug the boy.

"Hey sis. How's it going?" He laughs, but I see the tear fall from his eye as he holds Prim.

I look over to my side of the field, and see my opponent.

It's...

Mom?

"MOM?!" I run forwards, embracing her, and she laughs/cries into my shoulder.

"Hey baby. Hey." She kisses my hair.

"I have to battle... you?" I ask, and she nods.

"I love you Cole, but don't think I'll go easy on you." She whispers, and I nod.

"I wouldn't want anything else. Good luck." I kiss her cheek, and head back to my side.

"THIS WILL BE THREE ONE ON ONE BATTLES, EACH TRAINER IS ALLOWED ONE POKEMON ON THE FIELD AT A TIME, AND IF ONE IS KNOCKED OUT, BOTH TRAINERS MUST SEND OUT A NEW POKEMON."

I nod, choosing three pokemon. I'm not sure whether she will be using her own pokemon or not, so I pick mine around the idea that she might not be.

"ON THE BELL, YOU MAY BEGIN."

Cel appears beside me, sitting gently on my shoulder.

Need my help on this one, Cole?

"I'll be fine, but thank you, Cel." She nods, but doesn't leave my side.

A loud bell can be heard throughout the arena, and we all send out our first pokemon.

"Go, Missy!"

"Apophis!"

Both pokemon land gently, and Apophis immediately starts summoning the power of Dragon Dance.

"Feint Attack!" Mom calls, and Missy dissappears.

"Surround yourself with Dragon Rage!"

Apo twirls in place, spewing fire in all directions around him.

There's a pained Mrow! as Missy is hit by the dragon fire, throwing her back.

"Hone Claws!" Missy nods, ducking backk using Feint Attack again, and sharpening her claws on a nearby boulder.

"Don't \let her boost her attack! Apo, use-" I'm cut off as he jumps forward, his claws coming down on her with vicious accuracy, and I watch as dragon fire flares as he hits.

"Dragon Claw!" I finish the attack order, and he leaps into a backwards somersault, landing hard, and I notice three long gashes along his chest. Missy must have gotten a Slash in.

"Shadow Ball!" Mom calls, and Missy begins charging her ghost type move.

"Apo, use Dragon Tail!"

Apo jumps forward, and as Missy fires the ball of paranormal energy, he slams it back at her with his tail, which is infused with draconic energy.

There is a loud explosion, and dust clouds form.

I wait with held breath for the dust to settle, and...

Missy is unconscious, laying by Mom, and Apo is... struggling to keep himself up, but he's awake.

"AND PURUGLY IS OUT FOR THE COUNT... TRAINERS, PLEASE SEND OUT YOUR NEXT POKEMON!"

We quickly return our weakened pokemon, sending out the next two.

"Perry!"

"Cleo!"

Cleo lands quickly, kissing my cheek before running to her spot, and Mom's Raticate, Perry, hurries over to.

He waves at me, a goofy grin on his face, and I laugh as I wave back.

"BEGIN!"

"Super Fang!"

"Faint Attack!"

Perry lunges forward, his teeth glowing, as Cleo dissappears.

Perry whips around, sinking his teeth into her flank as she tackles into him from behind.

She calls out in pain, as she jumps back towards me.

I notice she is limping considerably, as Perry launches into his next attack.

"Cleo, use Sucker Punch!"

She quickly slams her tail into Perry's face, stunning him long enough for her to push him away.

"Counter!" Mom calls, and my eyes go wide.

Perry slams his tail into Cleo's side, throwing her back into me, and knocking me over.

"You okay?" I ask, and she nods, but falls over when she tries to stand.

"No your not." I return her, and Perry is returned as well.

"WE ARE NECK IN NECK! THE NEXT BATTLE IS THE TIE BREAKER!"

My heart breaks as Mom sends out her final pokemon.

"Aspen!"

The Piloswine lands gently, and I watch as he recognizes me.

And I watch in horror as Belle lands in front of him.

She turns to me, her eyes full of pain, and I shake my head.

"I didn't know..." I start, but she shakes her head.

"Mom? Is that you?" He charges forward, flying into a hug, and I watch as Belle starts to cry.

"Don't be sad, mommy! I'm tough now, I can take a hit!" He assures her, and she nods.

"Don't you hold back on me now, okay Aspen? Show me just how strong you are, okay?" He nods vigorously, and she steps back.

"Same for you, mom! Don't hold back!" She nods, but I can tell she will.

Mom's eyes are pained as well, having guessed what the conversation was about.

"Aspen, start it off with Powder Snow!"

"Thundershock, Belle!"

Belle stands back, summoning dozens of small bolts of lightning, and watching as they slam home.

Aspen doesn't move.

"Aspen? Are you okay?" Mom asks, and he nods.

"What was that, mom? I've seen you knock Golducks into the ground! I've watched as you singlehandedly defeated the Sinnoh Champion's Milotic! I've witnessed as you throw grown pokemon around!" He looks ready to cry, but Belle nods.

"I love you Aspen... but... I can't." With that, Belle walks back to me, and returns herself.

"WE HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT THE PILOSWINE IS THE... UNOFFICIAL OFFSPRING OF AMPHAROS, SO WE ARE ALLOWING THE CONTESTANT ONE MORE CHANCE."

I nod, waving to the PA, as I send out Mannix.

"Your new! Nice to meet you!" Aspen bows, and Mannix bows back.

"Nice to meet you as well. Good luck!"

"Powder Snow!"

"Karate Chop!"

Still looking a little dim-hearted, Aspen sends a wicked mini-snowstorm at the Psychic/Fighting type, who masterfully dodges, and slams a hand into Aspen's coat, producing a grunt of pain.

Mannix jumps back, but gets caught by an Ice Beam, which throws him down. I notice that there is now a thick ice-block attached to his foot.

"Manny! Double Kick!" He nods, seeing my plan, and jumps.

He swiftly slams the hardened ice into Aspen's side, causing him to topple over.

"Aspen! Mist!"

Aspen summons a dense mist around him, obscuring himself from Mannix's line of sight.

"Earthquake!" Mom calls, and Mannix's eyes go wide.

"Get UP!" I shout, and he instinctively floats himself a few feet off the ground as the earth begins to shake and rumble.

"Track him down with Miracle Eye, then use Psy Wave!"

His eyes go bright pink as they search the mist, when suddenly, a rock flies out and slams Mannix right in the face.

"Was that..." My question is answered as Mamoswine trumpets.

I go to order another attack, when a bright white light envelops Mannix, and soon, where Meditite was floating... Medicham stands.

"Manny..." I laugh in amazement, as he jumps into action.

I notice Belle released herself, and is standing silently next to me.

Manny flies straight into Aspen's face, landing a wicked kick and punch combo, before back-flipping, and going into a crossed legged float as he zips around.

Aspen is way to slow to keep up, and when Manny lands his final attack, Aspen sighs under the pressure, and topples.

Mom returns him, and the crowd goes wild.

I look over, and see Prim has sent out her final pokemon, Francis.

"THE WINNER IS COLE, NOW WE JUST WAIT FOR..."

Everyone goes silent as Francis slams a devastating Superpower into his opponent, a Staravia, and it knocks the opposing pokemon into the ground... where it doesn't move.

"EVERYONE, PLEASE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE VICTORS OF THIS YEAR'S TEAM RACE! COLE AND PRIMROSE, FROM TEAM PLASMA!"

Everything is silent for a moment...

Then the cheering kicks in.

"Please, accept these as a token of our pride..." N hands me a small box, and inside is... a small patch.

I cry instantly when I see it, and N has to catch me to stop me from falling.

"So what are your plans now? After your trip, I mean?" Kai asks, and I shrug.

"By winning the TeamRace, me and Prim are automatically executives... so... I'm not sure. Probably get my own place. What about you?"

"I fly back with Mom and Dad tomorrow, before starting at Rocket! Nareen said she'd help to get me started!" He laughs, and I hug him.

"Thats great, Kai. Really great." Mom and Dad enter, their bags behind them.

"Do you have to leave?" Mom asks, and I nod.

"Now that I have some spare time, I... I need to be alone. Me and my pokemon, on... an extended vacation." I explain softly, and they nod.

"Well, if you ever find yourself near Kanto, come visit!" Mom cries, kissing my forehead, and I laugh.

"Of course I will. I love you guys." They say their goodbyes, and I head out the door.

"Cole!" Prim is running up the stairs, her red executive headband holding her newly dyed green hair out of her face.

"Hey!" I hug her, and she shakes her head.

"Why don't you come with me? My family would love to officially meet you!" I laugh, but shake my head.

"I have a lot of thinking to do, Prim. I love you to death, but... I need some time to myself." She nods, sighing, and a hand claps my butt.

"Hey sweet cheeks!" Cosmo laughs, and I chuckle.

"Hey. Just heading out, will you be here when I get back?"

"Got a job down by Kalos, but I shouldn't be too long. Sky's already on the plane, he's ecstatic." With that, he hugs me, and takes off.

"You better come back, sweet cheeks! We need more eye candy around here..."

I laugh, and Prim kisses my cheek before heading upstairs to see Kai.

Since we got back, she's been helping him to train while I've been... busy.

I hike my bag of clothes up, and prepare for the last goodbye.

Rayna, Matt, and Nareen left as soon as the race was over, and with promises to meet up again soon, we had tearful goodbyes.

"Hey." I greet him outside, but he just shakes his head, and kisses me.

"Are you positive you don't want me to come?" He asks in between kisses, and I shake my head.

"I'm sorry babe, I really am, but I need time to... figure myself out. Find out what I want to do." He nods, and leads me to the jet.

"Are YOU sure about this? You won't need this at all?" I ask, and he shakes his head.

"I've got a few extra, plus, this helps me keep an eye on you. Don't get into any trouble." He leans in, and I kiss him passionately.

I get on the plane, my hand running gently over the patch on my bag as we take off.

I've gone over it a million times, but it still calms me.

It's the only picture I have of Effie.

The necklace around my neck warms slightly as the plane lifts off the ground.

AN~

Thank you all for following Cole's story right to the finale. I don't say the end, because this is only the beginning! There will be companion stories and maybe even a sequel, but for now, it was time to end it. I left it with lots of unanswered questions FOR A REASON! Jeez, trust me a little! Haha! Anyways, please review, and let me know what burning questions you had/have, and I'll make sure to address them as soon as possible! Again, I can't thank you enough for those of you who stuck around even though my posting has been so... sporadic. Have a great day, everyone!

Love,

~Austin


End file.
